In a setback to renewed attempts by Maoists to make inroads into the remote tribal pockets of the State bordering Chhattisgarh, the outlawed organisation's Manuguru Local Organising Squad (LOS) commander Ravva Ramal alias Sudheer, 30, and squad member Lakma were killed in Sunday's "encounter" in Mangapeta forest area of Mulugu district.
Ramal carried a cash reward of ₹4 lakh on his head, police said.
The police on Monday identified the two Maoists killed in Sunday's encounter in the tribal dominated Mulugu district as Ramal and Lakma.
The duo was killed in an "exchange of fire" with a joint squad of special party police and the Greyhounds personnel at Koppugutta hillock near the Musalammagutta Gutti Koya tribal hamlet under Mangapeta police station limits on Sunday afternoon, police added.
The police dealt a blow to the ultras nearly eight days after the Maoist rebels struck terror at Bodhapuram, an interior village in Venkatapuram mandal, by killing a local ruling TRS cadre, Bheemshwara Rao, at his house on October 10.
The Agency areas of the former composite Khammam and Warangal districts saw spurt in Maoist activities in recent weeks.
As many as six Maoist rebels including three commanders - Dudi Devalu alias Shankar, Kovasi Jogaiah alias Chandu and Sodi Jogaiah were killed in separate “encounters” in Bhadradri Kothagudem district since September 3.
Talking to reporters in Mulugu on Monday, Superintendent of Police Sangram Singh Patil said Ramal, a native of Jella village in Venkatapuram mandal, was allegedly involved in as many as six cases of Maoist violence and several other offences.
He carried a bounty of ₹4 lakh on his head.
One SLR, two SBBL guns, two AK-47 magazines, and 16 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, kit bags and notebooks were seized from the encounter site at Koppugutta area on Sunday, the SP said.
He added that an intensive combing operation was underway in the far-flung areas of Mangapeta and its adjoining mandals in Mulugu district.