In one of the biggest encounters in recent times, twenty persons, all illegal woodcutters hired by red sanders smugglers, were killed in near-simultaneous encounters at two difference places in the Seshachalam forests early on Tuesday morning.
“When our teams asked them to surrender, they retaliated by hurling stones. They were armed with sickles and axes. When the task force opened fire, 20 of them were killed and a large number of them escaped. They were carrying red sanders logs”, said
Although the police assumes that those gunned down belonged to Arani, Tiruvannamalai and Salem in Tamil Nadu, their identities are yet to be established.
Police sources said that among those who were killed, two were international red sanders smugglers.
Eight police personnel were also injured in the incident and their condition was stated to be stable.
Officials said the Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force personnel opened fire when the woodcutters, brandishing sickles and axes, attacked them with stones.
The encounters took place about 20 km from Srivarimettu, where the steps to the Lord Balaji temple at Tirumala begin. Eleven persons were killed in an area known as Eetamakulagunta and nine others were shot down at Cheekateegalakona in Chandragiri
Murder or encounter? Red sanders smugglers’ killings in AP