Hyderabad, March 19 (IANS) Police in Andhra Pradesh Friday gunned down a Maoist husband-wife duo in a gun battle in a forested area in Khammam district.

Police said the Maoists, belonging to the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, were killed in a gun battle in the Venkatapuram forest area in Khammam, about 300 km from here.

The gunfight took place when policemen engaged in combing operations in the area came face-to-face with a group of Maoists. Police found two bodies after the exchange of fire, which lasted an hour.

The Maoists have been identified as K. Pullaiah and his wife Lakshmi, both members of an armed squad of the CPI-Maoist. Police also recovered two weapons, two kit bags and party literature.

Police were on alert in the area as several prominent politicians are scheduled to visit Bhadrachalam on the occasion of Ramanavmi on March 24. The combing operations were launched last Thursday after Maoists gunned down a trader on the suspicion he was acting as a police spy.

The gun battle took place a week after the killing of two top Maoist leaders in two different incidents March 12.

Shakhamuri Appa Rao, a member of the CPI-Maoist, was killed in Prakasam district while Solipeta Kondal Reddy, another top leader, was shot dead in Warangal district.