Himalayan News Service

Hyderabad, June 4:

Police repulsed two major attacks by Maoists at a police station and an outpost in Mahabubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh last night. About 100 guerrillas belonging to the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) launched simultaneous attacks on the Amarabad police station and the nearby Mannanur police outpost, about 150 km from here, at around 9.30 pm. The extremists opened indiscriminate fire at the Mannanur police outpost and hurled hand grenades. Alert policemen guarding the outpost retaliated and a heavy exchange of fire continued for two hours. The Maoists fled the scene after additional forces were rushed to the area. Police said two constables, Ilyas and Raghunandan, who were posted at the outpost, were injured. A civilian was injured when Maoists opened fire on his van, which was coming towards the police outpost. Mahabubnagar Superintendent of Police Vikram Singh Mann said alert policemen repulsed the attack though the rebels used hand grenades and rocket launchers. Simultaneously another group of Maoists attacked heavily fortified Amrabad police station. They hurled grenades and opened fire from a hostel adjoining the police station building. Policemen retaliated and after a gun battle lasting for more than an hour, the Maoists ran away.