Wayanad: The Kerala Police's specialised teams and Maoists were engaged in a shootout on Tuesday night. While the commandos nabbed two Maoists, three others escaped.
According to sources, the Maoists in custody are Chandru and Unnimaya. They were listed in the lookout notice issued by the police.
The exchange of fire took place in a forest area under the Thalappuzha police station limits. According to local residents, the firing lasted for over 30 minutes. During the operation, the Maoists opened fire at the Special Operation Group (SOG) and the Thunderbolt Squad, both elite commando forces of the state police. The forces retaliated, the source said. There is no immediate information on casualties. This is the fourth time the police have engaged in a shootout with the Maoists in Wayanad.
Kerala Police teams had launched a combing operation in the area based on intelligence inputs received from a Maoist sympathiser apprehended earlier in the day in neighbouring Kozhikode district.
The Maoist Special Operation Group (SOG) had arrested a 'Courier' gang member from Kozhikode on Tuesday for helping Maoist gangs in the state. Aneesh Thambi (57), a native of Tamil Nadu, was arrested near Eramangalam between Koyilandy and Balussery. He was also taken to Wayanad.
The 'Courier' gang members deliver local information to the Maoist gangs operating secretly in the deep forests and pass the information on to outsiders. A special team has been monitoring the movements of the accused for weeks.
According to sources, the police will continue their search in the Periya forest range. Thunderbolt surveillance is also being conducted in Koorachundu, Thamarassery and Katullamala areas of Kozhikode district.
(With PTI inputs.)
