While Guntakal mandal TDP unit president Harischandrappa and four of his family members were burnt alive, two others were axed to death.

According to information reaching here, the murders were a fallout of factional feuds between CPI leader late K Gopal's group and Harischandrappa's group.

Gopal, who enjoyed the support of the KS faction of the PWG, was killed in a bomb attack engineered by the TDP in January 1997. Harischandrappa and 17 others were accused in the murder. The Naxalites had been warning Harischandrappa's group to mend their ways.

Keshav dalam, which had disassociated itself from the KS faction, has been active in the Guntakal rural mandal.

Seven armed members of the Keshav dalam and supporters of Gopal jointly raided the house ofHarischandrappa at around 6 am and hurled bombs and rained bullets.

They also attacked supporters of Harischandrappa -- G Damodar (25), Dubba Ranganna (40) with sickles and hacked them to death.

Harischandrappa and four of his family members, who tried to escape the attack by hiding inside the house, were torched to death.

Among those who were burnt alive were G Venkatesh (25), G Raghavendra, Ashok (15), Ranganna (28) and Pendekanti Venkataramudu.

Harischandrappa's father Thippayya (70) was critically injured in the bomb attack.

Twelve buildings, including Harischandrappa's house, were razed to the ground by the blast. Valuables in Harischandrappa's home were looted.

Soon after the attack, road link between Gooty and Guntakal was cut off. The houses destroyed by the dynamites continued to burn until afternoon.

Fire personnel could not enter the village until police took control of the situation.

Anantapur range DIG Sivanarayana and Superintendent of Police VRK Mohana Rao have rushed to thevillage.

Additional armed reserve police were rushed to the village from Guntakal.

TDP district president and Uravakonda MLA P Keshav visited the village and consoled the bereaved families.