Two important Maoist officials were killed in an encounter in Adilabad as the police foiled an attempt by the extremists to attack the Koyyur police station in Visakhapatnam in the early hours yesterday. The two Maoists — Agila Istari alias Salim, district committee secretary, and Bhaskar alias Suryam alias Narsanna, district committee secretary — were killed in the encounter in Manigarh-Jogapur area. On Saturday and Sunday night, special parties of the police undertook combing operations in the area on the Andhra Pradesh-Maharashtra border. On a tip-off that Maoists from four armed squads were holding a meeting, police surrounded the hillocks. In the exchange of fire, Istari and Bhaskar died while seven other rebels, including North Telangana Special Zonal Committee member Pulluri Prasada Rao alias Chandranna, managed to escape.Istari carried a reward of 300,000 rupees on his head. He was allegedly involved in the killings of Telugu Desam legislator Palvai Purushottam Rao and two constables in 1999. Police recovered three weapons an AK-47 rifle, a .303 rifle and a pistol, two magazines of self-loading rifle, 12 kitbags, a medicine kitbag and a large number of claymore mines from the scene of the encounter.