Bhubaneswar, Jan. 10: Vehicular traffic was disrupted on Monday in a few Maoist-affected districts of the state after the Red rebels blew up two mobile towers and triggered an explosion in Andhari valley. The incident comes a day after nine rebels were gunned down near Kasipur. The Maoists had called for a two-day bandh in Rayagada, Gajpati and Kandhamal districts.

Sources said tension was palpable at the Rayagada district hospital where post mortem was conducted on the rebels killed in Sunday’s encounter amidst tight security.

A police team from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh had reached the hospital for identifying the slain Maoists who included an area commander, Rabi and a deputy commander, Bunty. However, no one came forward to claim the bodies.

Vehicular movement in interior Rayagada and adjoining Kandhamal and Gajpati districts was disrupted with long distance buses pulling off the roads for the fear of being attacked by the radicals.

Orissa State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) sources said that buses had stopped plying to and from Digpahandi, Rayagada, Bissam, Cuttack and Tumudibandh in view of the shut-down. While six buses to Bhawanipatna via Phulbani in Kandhamal district had been cancelled, long-distance coaches to Rayagada and Parlakhemundi were being routed through the bordering districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Traffic was also badly affected on Parlakhemundi-Mohana and Berhampur-Adaba routes with rebels blocking roads at several places by felling trees and placing huge boulders at strategic points.

However, Rayagada SP Anup Krishna sought to play down the impact of the bandh saying cancellation of OSRTC service during shut-downs was a routine affair.

At several places in Rayagada and Kandhamal, where an encounter between police and the Maoists led by their area commander Azad had taken place on Sunday night, business establishments also downed shutters fearing reprisal from the rebels.

The impact of the bandh was maximum in rebel bastions such as Tumudibandh and Raikia.

The mobile towers were blown up at Aliganda in Gajpati district. District superintendent of police Sarthak Sarangi said the rebels could target the towers easily as they were located in thinly populated areas.

In Bhubaneswar, home secretary U.N. Behera claimed major success in the operation against the rebels. “People who once supported the rebels have now turned in our favour,” he said.

He added that BSF, CRPF, SOG besides Orissa State Armed Police were involved in anti-Naxal operations.