Maoists blow up school building in Orissa

Malkangiri (Orissa), July 6 (ANI): In a fresh case of Maoist violence in Orissa, rebels blew up a school building in Malkangiri district early this morning.

According to sources, about 100 heavily-armed rebels stormed into a village under Kalimela police station area and blew up the building, causing extensive damage to the structure.

The school building was targeted as the Maoists felt it would be utilised for accommodating security forces during anti-Naxal operation, sources said.

Security personnel were sent to village to conduct combing operation to track the ultras.

On Monday, the Maoists blew up a panchayat office building and a godown in Kalimela area.

Around 50 gun-totting rebels stormed into Mandapalli under Kalimela area had triggered a landmine blast at the panchayat building and a godown nearby.

The attack came ahead of a 48-hour nationwide shutdown called by the Maoists to protest the killing of their leader Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad in Andhra Pradesh"s Adilabad District.

The Andhra Pradesh police reportedly shot dead Azad in an encounter in the Jogapur forest area early on Friday, while he was attempting to cross into Maharashtra. (ANI)