Special police teams, on a tip-off that the extremists were meeting in a mangrove on Nagampet outskirts encircled the area at about 6.30 .m. While two teams surrounded the grove, the third party advanced towards the spot where the extremists were resting.

On seeing the police, one Naxalite, who was on sentry duty, opened fire alerting other extremists. Police retaliated and the encounter lasted 30 minutes.

Eleven extremists including two women died on the spot while at least nine others including district committee secretary Sanjeev were believed to have escaped. They belong to the Veeranna faction of Janashakti group.

The slain Naxalites were identified as Sircilla zonal committee secretary Arun Kumar, Bandi Srinivas Reddy, Boini Ramesh, Polakani Shanker, Yedla Seshadri, Bathula Agaiah, Bali Yellam, KavvampalliMallesham, Burra Nagaraj Goud, Ummanaveni Lakshmi and Deshaipalli Lata.

Police recovered nine weapons including three double barrel guns, two 8 mm pistols, two country-made pistols, one revolver, kit bags and party literature from the spot.

While seven bodies were inside the mangrove, four were found outside. Local people have been visiting the place since morning but none of them replied when asked if they heard any gunshots in the morning.

Several senior police officials visited the spot. Meanwhile, in a statement issued in Hyderabad, civil rights leader K Balagopal alleged that seven of the slain extremists including Arun Kumar were picked up from a house in Allwyn colony in Jagadgirigutta on the city outskirts at 4 am today

``I was preparing to issue a statement demanding their production in the court when the news of the encounter reached me. They are nothing but cold-blooded killings,'' Balagopal, who is now associated with the newly-formed Human Rights Forum alleged.