Maoists gun down 2 security personnel

SANGADA (Visakhapatnam): Two security personel were killed by a Maoist action team at the weekly market in Vonukudelli, a village in Orissa's Koraput district on the border of Munchingput mandal in Visakhapatnam district on Thursday. The brazen attack was carried out a day after Maoists killed two persons in Rayagada district of Orissa.
The Maoists struck at the shandy around 12 noon by gunning down police constable Bala Tikri, 27, and 30-year-old home guard Vinod Khara.The cops were returning on a motorcycle after purchasing vegetables at the shandy at Vonukudelli, 10 km from here, when the Maoists team of three youths shot them from a close range. Both the security personnel died on the spot. The Maoists left a letter at the spot and fled the scene.
Koraput SP Anup Kumar Sahoo said search operations have been launched to track the rebels. Sources said the rebels had warned Vinod earlier against harassing tribals to get information on Maoists movements in the forest tracts. Vinod is survived by his wife and daughter. Tikri hailed from Koraput.Earlier on Wednesday, the rebels kidnapped five persons from Potteru village in Malkangiri district of Orissa, close to Seeleru in Visakhapatnam district. Their whereabouts is not known yet.