Hyderabad: With the Chhattisgarh government and security forces trying to recover from the shock of the Maoist attack in Sukma, which left 25 troops of the Central Reserve Police Force dead, police in Andhra Pradesh are on high alert along the state’s borders with Odisha.
The police and Greyhound forces launched combing operations in the forest areas and were also searching all vehicles moving from Visakhapatnam towards the Odisha border.
Elected representatives have also been warned against entering remote areas or travelling without informing the police.
Patrols have also been intensified in the interior areas like Sileru and Dokarai in Visakhapatnam district.
The state director general of police K. Sambasvia Rao during a recent visit to Visakhapatnam had said there had been a warning of possible attack by the Maoists. Within three days’ of his statement, the CPI Maoist carried out a massive and well organised guerrilla attack on the CRPF jawans.
The intelligence agencies were warning that after the recent encounter at Ramaguda on AP-Odisha border killing a large number of Maoist leaders and cadres, there was a possibility of a revenge attack by the left wing extremists. Reports had indicated that following the encounter many leaders and cadres of Maoists had gathered and regrouped in Chhattisgarh.
In view of the warnings and the increasing activities of the Maoists, the authorities had stopped the road laying works in the remote areas to avoid any loss of life or property.
Intelligence agencies in AP estimate that 350 to 400 Maoists might have participated in yesterday’s attack on CRPF party and they were likely to attempt crossing in to Andhra region. As they have also taken away a large number of weapons and the explosives from the CRPF, the intelligence agencies have also warned that Maoists may carry out more such attacks in the days to come.
