Guntur: Four naxals, including two women, were shot dead by police in an encounter at Jayanthipuram village in Guntur district, of Andhra Pradesh this morning (May 4, 2004), according to senior police officials.

Guntur Range DIG, Anjan Kumar, said that the exchange of fire was still on.

Acting on a tip-off a special police party started combing operations in the densely forested area, sources said. However because of the hillocks the naxals noticed the advancing police party and fired at them.

The naxals have retreated leaving behind four rifles, a binocular, several claymore mines, six kit bags and revolutionary literature, the DIG said.

The identity of the dead naxals is yet to be established.

The scene of the encounter is in the proximity of the Bandlamottu police station, on which the naxals mounted an attack on April 17.