The Andhra Pradesh government today justified police firing at red sanders "smugglers" in Chittoor district, in which 20 people, mostly from Tamil Nadu, were killed, saying it was done in self-defence.

"It was an incident where the police had to open fire in self-defence because they were terribly outnumbered," Government's Communication Advisor, Parakala Prabhakar, said.

Twenty people were gunned down yesterday in a police operation said to be against Red Sanders smugglers that came under severe attack from the government and political parties in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, which claimed that many victims were labourers from their state.

He said a small combing party of 10-15 personnel were encircled by more than 200 smugglers who were "moving menacingly" towards them.

"In the past, police officials were axed to death, hacked to death. So, in self-defence, police had to open fire," Prabhakar said.

The state had lost six police officers (attacked by red sanders smugglers) while on duty during combing operations in the last few years, he said.

"More than 1000 (red sanders smugglers) are in jail which means wherever possible we have apprehended them and put them in jail. 4500 cases have been registered (against red sanders smugglers) and 6000 vehicles (belonging to smugglers) have been seized," Prabhakar said.

"So, we are not a trigger-happy police force. It was only in self-defence, they had to do."

Asked about reports that the "smugglers" did not have fire-arms, Prabhakar said last time also they had killed police and forest officers with axes and sickles. "So, weapon does not mean fire-arm. They could kill without fire-arm. They did it earlier".