After a brief lull allowing some breathing space for security forces in the district, Maoists on Friday blew up a Border Security Force vehicle, triggering an improvised explosive device near Janiguda on the Chitrakonda-Balimela road in Malkangiri district, killing four including a Commandant of the 107th battalion and his Second-in-Command.

Two civilians were also injured in the firing that followed the ghastly incident. The vehicle was mangled beyond recognition.

The attack came on the eve of the first phase of panchayat polls in the district, scheduled to take place on Saturday.

The victims have been identified as Commandant G R Khaswan, his second-in-command Rajesh Sharan, Inspector Ashok Yadav and Assistant Sub-Inspector and radio operator of the squad, Jitendra Sahu.

According to reports, the officers were returning in their vehicle after supervising security arrangements for the first phase of the polls. The IED blast took place about 1.30 pm when the Bolero was passing through the ghat road.

The civilians were identified as Sugandhu Kundu and Bishnu Jani. They are reportedly officials of the Potteru Irrigation Project and were going to Chitrakonda. The officials reportedly sustained injuries when the Maoists, acting under the impression that they were policemen, opened fire minutes after the blast.

Sensing the presence of more than a hundred Maoist cadres on the hilltop, forces were immediately mobilised to the area to start a vigorous combing operation.

Sources said standard operating procedure might not have been followed by the officers during their return journey. Similar errors by security personnel had led to disasters in the past.

On July 16, 2008 a landmine blast by Maoists near MV-126 village in Malkangiri district killed 17 personnel of the Special Operation Group and an RI travelling in an anti-landmine vehicle. On June 18, 2009, nine personnel of Odisha Special Security Force were killed in a landmine explosion in Narayanpatna block of Korapur district.

On November 13, 2009, Maoists killed three Central Reserve Police Force personnel in a landmine blast in Malkangiri district due to a similar mistake by the security personnel. The landmine blast was targeted at the convoy of CRPF personnel consisting of 21 vehicles. The CRPF personnel were on their way to Malkangiri town from their camp at MV 79 village. The first vehicle in the convoy fell prey to the powerful blast as the road was not cleared prior to the travel of the convoy.

On April 4, 2010, a small error led to death of nine personnel of the Special Operation Group in a landmine blast triggered by Maoists in Koraput district. A minibus carrying the SOG jawans was blown up at Govindpalli ghat road near the Koraput and Malkangiri district border. The personnel had not followed strict instructions of walking down the road when trying to clear a ghat road in a Maoist-affected area.

On January 5, 2012, at least three policemen were killed and three others critically injured when Maoists blew up their vehicle in a forested area near Srirampur village of Kandhamal district.