Four top Maoists gunned down in Gadchiroli forest

Nagpur: Four top Maoists from Telangana were shot dead after a 25-hour combing operation in the forested hills of Kolamarka in the restive Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra early Tuesday.
The armed guerrillas, who were camping in the dense forests after crossing Pranhita river straddling both states, were neutralised after a fierce gun battle that continued till dawn.

Police said the Maoists who carried bounties of ₹36 lakh, had sneaked into the state to sabotage parliamentary polls and target candidates on a call by their central committee.
C-60 commandos navigating the booby-trapped hilly terrain in pitch darkness with thermal imagers and night-vision devices were jolted by the first burst of gunfire from guerrillas, who enjoyed vantage point on a hillock. The commandos dodged the bullets and retaliated with force, taking down all four, who were outnumbered by the police.
Security forces had intercepted the guerrillas on the 30km transit route through Gadchiroli to Indravati National Park in Chhattisgarh from Telangana after navigating the Pranhita river. One AK-47 assault rifle, a carbine, two countrymade revolvers, explosives, IED ingredients and Maoist literature were seized from the encounter site.
The C-60 commandos had got a tip-off from Telangana intelligence unit.