There was no major Maoist activity, but for a surrender, in the last six months in the Visakhapatnam Agency area. The situation was similar even in the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) region. Except for sighting of a few Maoist cadres in some of the interior parts of the AOB, there has not been a single exchange of fire since January, which is considered to be unusual by many of the police officers engaged in the anti-Maoist operations.
Besides the fear of COVID-19, serious illness to some of the top cadres have an impact on the left wing extremists and made them to lie low, say informed sources.
Unlike other diseases, the awareness of COVID-19 has spread far and wide in the Agency area and tribals have become very cautious. Besides enforcing voluntary lockdown, they are not allowing outsiders, including Maoists, into their villages.
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The Maoists, who used to depend on the villagers for logistic support and food supply, now move to the Odisha side, which probably is one of the reasons for spurt in Naxal activity in that State. It is also learnt that top leaders such as Akkiraju Haragopal alias Ramakrishna alias RK and Kakuri Pandana alias Jagan have taken ill.