The police claimed that the strike was part of its operations against the ultras. (Representational)
A woman Maoist, an accused in the recent killing of two TDP leaders, including an MLA, was gunned down by security forces in alleged encounter near Andrapali forest yesterday during intense combing operations, police said.
They said four maoists, including three women, were captured after the exchange of fire during the combing operations held in the forest near Andhra-Odhisha border.
The deceased Maoist was identified as 40-year old N Meena, wife of top Maoist leader Gajarla Ravi alias Uday alias Anand, police said.
Around 15 Maoists led by Meena were spotted by the Greyhounds police combing party when the exchange of fire took place. While four ultras were captured, others managed to escape from the spot, they said.
State DGP P R Thakur said police recovered a 9 mm carbine rifle and some literature of the outfit from the site of the exchange of fire.
In its major strike after a long gap, outlawed CPI (Maoists) on September 23 shot dead Araku MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao his predecessor Siveri Soma, both Scheduled Tribes, in Lippitiputta village in Visakhapatnam district.
The two TDP leaders were in the village to take part in a 'grama darsini' (village visit) programme when a group of Maoists blocked their cars and shot dead them.
The police claimed that yesterday's strike by the "Greyhounds" police was part of its ongoing operations against the ultras.
Police surces said Meena alias Nidginda Prameela alias Jilani Begum alias Sharadha was a Divisional Committee Member of the CPI (Maoist).
She was one among the top woman Maoist cadres in the region and was the wife of Gajarla Ravi, who is the secretary of Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee of CPI (Maoist).
Meena, who hailed from Pochannapeta area in Warangal district of Telangana, was known for her brutality and was involved in a number major cases in the Vizag region, police sources said.
The Maoists arrested were identified as Jayanthi alias Anjana, Radhika Golluri, Sumala alias Geetha and Rajasekhar Karma.