Amaravati, May 12 : Government Railway Police (GRP) opened fire on suspects in Andhra Pradeshâ??s Guntur district to foil a train robbery attempt in the early hours of Tuesday.

The incident occurred around 3 A.M. near Aluru railway gate in Ponnur mandal under Guntur railway sub-division.

Personnel of Government Railway Police (GRP) spotted suspects moving near the tracks with cutters and challenged them. The suspects pelted stones on the police personnel, forcing them to open fire. The suspects got away in the darkness.

The incident triggered a scare in the area. Additional police force from Ponnur Police Station rushed there to ensure security of the trains passing through the route.

Recently there have been several attempts by miscreants to tamper with signalling systems in Vijayawada division to commit train robberies. In view of these incidents, GRP has stepped up patrolling along the tracks.

A Sub-Inspector and two Constables, who were patrolling the area, found two persons moving in a suspicious manner near the railway signal. The policemen saw them carrying tools to cut the wires. They tried to nab the suspects but the latter pelted them with stones. The policemen opened fire in self-defence. The suspects escaped in the darkness in the nearby fields.

Senior police officials rushed to the spot. GRP Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Akhleshwar Rao, stated that a total of 10 rounds were fired. Six rounds were fired from 303 rifles while the SI opened four rounds from his pistol.

Police recovered a cutter, tester, gloves and other items left behind by the miscreants. Following the incident, police launched a massive hunt for them.

Six teams of GRP and local police were making efforts to nab the suspected robbers.

Officials said they would further step up security measures for the safety of railway passengers.

Top officials have already given permission to police personnel on the field level to open fire to foil any attempt to tamper with the signalling system.

The region has witnessed a series of train robberies in recent weeks.

On April 19, thieves armed with knives robbed passengers on the Bengaluru-Narsapuram train in Bapatla district.

/IANS