Maoists in Nallamala planning major strike?

Maoists in Nallamala planning major strike?
Thursday December 7 2006 13:34 IST

KURNOOL: Are the members of the proscribed CPI (Maoist) planning to regroup and carry out sporadic strikes in the Nallamala forests?

Though Director General of Police Swaranjit Sen has claimed that the police have gained an upper hand in Nallamala forests after the death of top Maoist leaders, including state committee secretary Madhav, in encounters during the last six months, District Superintendent of Police B Malla Reddy had on November 22, said that there were nearly two dozen Maoists still holed up in the Nallamala forests and that they were trying to regroup themselves.

Police even believe that Mahaboobnagar district committee secretary Sambasivudu, who masterminded the attack on Makthal Congress MLA Ch Narsi Reddy on August 15, last year, is among them and planning a major strike.

On Monday night, the Maoists were spotted by the Greyhounds personnel while crossing Krishna river from Guntur side to go to their shelter zones in Prakasam district.

Though both sides exchanged fire, none was injured in the incident.

“The Maoists have recently recruited five youth belonging to Marrivemula, Akkapalem and Satakodu villages in Pullalacheruvu mandal of Prakasam district,” a senior police official told this website’s newspaper.

The Maoists have stepped up violence in Guntur and Prakasam districts by gunning down Giddalur Congress MLA Pagadala Ramaiah’s brother P China Rangaiah at Chinaganapalle village of Racherla mandal on September 30, a former Naxalite Singa Suresh at Macharajukunta village in Peddaraveedu Mandal on November 20 in Prakasam district besides Bollapalli Mandal Parishad president and Congress functionary T Rami Reddy 10 days ago.

On the other hand, the Prakasam district police unearthed five major dumps in the Nallamala forests and recovered huge quantity of arms and ammunition in the last couple of months.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEA20061207031258&Page=A&Title=Southern+News+-+Andhra+Pradesh&Topic=0