Amaravati, November 20: Security forces in Andhra Pradesh arrested 51 Maoists in coordinated raids across five districts on Tuesday, in what officials described as one of the largest single-day crackdowns on urban Maoist networks in the state.
Teams from the Organisation for Counter Terrorist Operations (OCTOPUS) and district police carried out search operations in Krishna, Eluru, NTR, Kakinada and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema districts, recovering a cache of ammunition, cash and other materials. Police said searches were continuing for suspects who managed to escape.
Krishna district recorded the highest number of arrests, with 28 detainees — including 21 women — found hiding in a private house in Penamaluru mandal. Among them were nine security personnel allegedly linked to CPI (Maoist) general secretary Thippiri Tirupati and members of the Maoist commander Hidma’s armed unit, Superintendent of Police V. Vidya Sagar Naidu said.
In Eluru, police arrested 15 Maoists from a private building on the outskirts of the city after monitoring their movements for several days, district police chief K. Pratap Shiva Kishore said. The group included four women and 11 members of Hidma’s dalam.
Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Mahesh Chandra Laddha said the arrests followed intelligence that senior Maoist leaders were attempting to enter Andhra Pradesh. He said intensified operations in Chhattisgarh, neighbouring states and in the Andhra–Odisha Border region had pushed Maoist cadres to shift from forested areas into urban centres.
“Six Maoists have been killed recently and more than 50 arrested. Searches are underway to trace those who escaped and to locate Maoist weapon dumps,” Laddha said. Authorities say the crackdown is part of ongoing efforts to dismantle Maoist networks attempting to regroup amid sustained pressure from security forces.
