Malkangiri: Four persons including 3 BSF jawans were killed in an attack near Chitrakonda area in Malkangiri district.
According to sources, 6 jawans were also seriously injured in the blast. The incident occurred when the BSF jawans were returning after carrying out a combing operation in the area.
The incident occurred at Palankarai Ghat in the cut-off Ralegada Panchayat while the jawans were traveling on a boat. The deceased jawans have been identified as Constable M Ravichandra, ASIs Sridhar and G Avinash. Another civilian was also killed in the attack.
The injured have been shifted to Visakhapatnam for treatment.
After getting a tip-off that a Maoist camp is operating in the area, more than 30 jawans went on a combing operation. While the jawans were returning after the combing operation, the Maoists exploded landmines and then started firing at them.
Police sources informed that combing and search operations have been intensified to nab the Maoists. Police sources also stated that the attack was a revenge act as there was intelligence alert issued regarding the same.
Reacting on the development, former director general of police, Gopal Nanda, said, "The Maoists were always opposing the construction of Gurupriya bridge as they knew that their lives will be in danger once the construction of the bridge gets completed. So this kind of attack was expected."
"As Maoist presence across the country is decreasing day by day, they must have got an instruction from their leader to commit this kind of attack to encourage their cadres. They using the land mines as their weapon because police cannot use it as it may harm the public. From this incident, it is clear that our security arrangements are not so tightened or they still have a good presence in these areas. They have links with Andhra Pradesh cadre rebels,"Nanda stated.
Notably, three Maoists were killed by security forces on August 1 and this attack is being attributed as a retaliatory action from the red rebels.