Naxal menace: AP CM calls for cooperation

Hyderabad: Naxals carried out a devastating attack on a unit of Greyhounds - a police unit especially formed to combat them sinking their boat which was carrying about 66 personnel.

The attack was carried out using rockets and the boat sunk at the Orissa-Andhra Pradesh Border with 34 personnel still missing.

Search and rescue operations have been launched and helicopters are also being used to search for the 34 Greyhounds personnel who're still missing.

The attack took place on Sunday at the Orissa-Andhra Pradesh border. At least three of the Greyhounds personnel are suspected to be dead and of the 30 who managed to escape, eight are in hospital, badly injured.

For the first time, the Naxals allegedly used rocket launchers to overturn the boat in which the anti-Naxal force was crossing the border.

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister K Jana Reddy said, "The Naxals have always had access to rocket launchers. We know that."

The state government had recently claimed that the law and order situation was completely under control but Sunday's attack has forced the government to put the state on high alert.

And Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy is already passing the buck to the neighbouring state.

"There needs to be more co-operation between Andhra and Orissa governments and the police. We cannot allow our boys to die there like this. We need to work together," Reddy said.

At a Cabinet meeting, the state government decided to allot house site measuring 200 square yards as compensation to the families of the dead policemen.

This is in addition to the existing package - Rs 5 to10 lakh ex gratia, one government job to a surviving member of the family and education for one child, to be funded by the government.

(With inputs from Venkat)

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