A bomb disposal squad from the Visakhapatnam rural police on Tuesday, voluntarily set off two landmines, which were planted by Maoists in the Agency area.

According to reports, the mines were planted in an interior village in Munchingput mandal, and the squad set off the mines after realising that they could not be defused.

In a press release, Visakhapatnam SP Rahul Dev Sharma, said that each landmine, was kept three feet under the bitumen road, and packed with 20 kg of explosives. Since they could not be safely removed, the bomb disposal squad of the rural police set them off under controlled and safe conditions.

"There are a number of cases, where the Maoists have targeted police and caused threat to tribals by blasting the jeeps and vehicles. The Red rebels should drop such ideas and surrender," the SP was quoted as saying.

This comes in the background of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit celebrating its annual People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) week.

Last week, the Andhra police beefed up security across the areas where Maoists enjoy support from locals.

The Hindu reported that the PLGA week has been observed since 2000, ever since the first anniversary of the death of three members of CPI (Maoist) Central committee members in Koyyuru forest area in Karimnagar district on December 2, 1999. 

The Maoists are also agitated ever since an encounter last month, in the Malkanjgiri forests along the Andhra-Odisha border, where 31 people were gunned down by security forces, including many top leaders of the outfit.