HYDERABAD, 2 July 2005 — Four Naxalites belonging to CPI-ML Janashakti group, including central committee member Riyaz, were killed in an encounter with the police in Karimnagar district in Andhra Pradesh in the early hours of yesterday.
Riyaz was one of the five Janashakti leaders who had participated alongwith CPI-Maoist leaders in the peace talks with Andhra Pradesh government in Hyderabad in October 2004. The talks broke down in January this year with the Naxalites and police resuming their confrontation which has claimed over 210 lives in the last six months.
Giving details of the incident, Karimnagar Superintendent of Police D.S. Chauhan told Arab News that the exchange of fire took place in the forest area near Badangal village in Mustabad mandal between 1.30 a.m. and 2 a.m.
“Four Naxalites died in the encounter. One of them is suspected to be Riyaz, state committee member of Janashakti.
