18 Killed In Naxalite Raid On Andhra Police Station

Naxalites blew up a police station in Khammam district yesterday following a fierce exchange of fire with policemen. Eighteen persons including 16 policemen and two civilians were killed.

The police said that over 60 armed extremists of the outlawed Peoples War Group (PWG) raided the police station at Karakagudem, about 40 kms from the coal-mine town of Manuguru, and opened fire at policemen.

In a two-hour-long exchange of fire but fell victims to a well laid-out blitzkreig. The dead included 13 constables, three head constables and two civilians, sources said.

The ultras first cordoned off the entire village, warned people against moving out and then made a swift attack on the police station.

 

The fleeing extremists blasted the building and took away over 30 weapons, the police said. The building was totally damaged.

An ex gratia of Rs 1 lakh each to the members of the bereaved families of the policemen killed in the blast has been announced.

The macabre attack, the biggest in recent times, has come as a rude shock to the government which had re-imposed the ban on the PWG in September last

Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu cancelled his Calcutta visit and is on his way to the spot. Home minister A Madhav Reddy and director general of police, H J Dora, have rushed to the site.

The police said at least four PWG dalams must have participated in the lightening strike. Braving the ultras warning, a bus conductor managed to give them a slip and reached a nearby village to pass on information to the police.

The state government yesterday reiterated its plea to the Centre to depute 50 additional companies of police. Reddy said so far the Centre had dispensed only two companies and its request for 50 more companies was still awaited.

We are awaiting response from the Centre in this regard, Reddy said, adding that there was need for more forces to crush the extremist activities of the PWG.

He said that following the states request, the Centre was working out a strategy to set up a joint command by involving three other states Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Orissa.

He said a joint effort was necessary to keep a vigil and crush the extremist forces in the four states including Andhra Pradesh.

Attributing the spate of naxalite attacks on police personnel in the rural areas to the lack of necessary infrastructure and adequate police strength, he said some areas in the rural areas had been identified where `pucca police building and residential quarters would be constructed.

The incident has once again brought to the fore the spurt in naxalite violence in the state despite reimposition of the ban. They had unleashed a similar attack on a police station at Sirpur in Adilabad district on November 15 last year killing 13 policemen including a sub-inspector, three head constables and a civilian. Three days later, PWG ultras triggered a landmine blast near Ramapuram village in Warangal district killing deputy superintendent of police Mahesh Kumar and his wife Jayasri.

Reddy, condemning the incident, said the attack was meticulously planned and executed by three to four dalams. Thirty two weapons were also confiscated from the scene of offense, he said.

He blamed the naxalites for resorting to mindless violence. However, he said we will not be cowed down by such terror tactics, adding that police morale would not be affected by such heinous acts.

On the other hand, he said the people have realised the futility of the violence indulged in by the naxalites and are distancing themselves. It is out of sheer desperation that the naxalites are resorting to killing of and other innocent civilians, he said.