A group of around 30 Maoists gunned down three villagers in the Kopara, Udaygiri and Mahupadar areas under the Mathili police limits of Malkangiri district late on Sunday night.
The bodies of the deceased were found on the outskirts of their villages on Monday morning. The ultras left behind hand-written letters claiming that the trio was killed for opposing the Maoist organisation.
Following the gruesome incident, a temporary BSF camp has been set up in the area, where combing operation has been intensified. The area is close to the Chhattisgarh border.
In another development, a senior woman Maoist cadre was arrested during a combing operation in the Narayanpatna forest area in Koraput district. The woman rebel, identified as Tulasi Mandangi of Dekapado village, was a close aide of Maoist leaders Aruna, Daya and Nirmala.
Tulasi was working in the Srikakulam-Koraput division of CPI(Maoist) and carrying a cash reward of Rs1 lakh on her head, BSF-28 Battalion sources said.
“The deceased people were neither associated with anti-Maoist operation nor working as police informers. The innocent poor persons were brutally killed by the ultras,” said South Western Range IG YK Jethwa, adding, “After registering a case we will intensify our combing operations and take stringent action against the Maoists.”