Andhra police gun down two Maoists

HYDERABAD - Two Maoists were shot dead in a gun battle Friday with police in Andhra Pradesh, police said.

The exchange of fire took place in the forest area in Visakhapatnam district, about 600 km from Hyderabad.

A police party engaged in combing operations in the area came face to face with a group of Maoists near Cheruvuru in Chintapalli mandal. The Maoists started firing when they were asked to surrender, police said

Police returned fire killing two guerrillas belonging to the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist. A few policemen were also injured in the firing by Maoists and a helicopter was sent from the coastal city of Visakhapatnam to airlift the injured.

Police were continuing the combing operations for the Maoists who escaped into the deep forests.

Visakhapatnam, Vijayanagaram and Srikakulam districts bordering Orissa have a significant Maoist presence.

In other parts of Andhra Pradesh, a former stronghold of Maoists, the CPI-Maoist suffered huge setbacks with the killing of their top cadres by police during last four years.