Bhubaneswar, Jan. 26: The ongoing anti-Maoist operation in the state is expected to be stepped up with state police and central paramilitary forces now planning to focus in particular on the two southern districts of Koraput and Malkangiri, that are for long considered Red bastions.

Police sources said if need be, co-operation of the neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh would be sought to flush out the rebels from their forest hideouts. The forests on Odisha's border with these two states have not only been providing safe sanctuary to the Maoists but also serve as convenient cover for their training camps.

The strategy to intensify the operation against the rebels was chalked out recently following intelligence inputs about growing resentment among the tribal residents of Koraput and Malkangiri against the Maoists who have been "terrorising the tribal population by indulging in killings on the pretext of eliminating police informers".

Sources said the tribal residents of the bordering areas of Malkangiri and Chhattisgarh recently held a meeting to discuss the growing atrocities against them by the rebels.

The meeting took place close to the "cut-off" area of Malkangiri district where people have been living in the fear of Maoists. The tribal people, who once used to shelter the rebels, now appear inclined to co-operate with the police in eliminating the threat of left wing extremism, said a source.

A police official who did not want to be named said though 17 of the 30 districts of the state were affected by Maoist violence, the situation in Malkangiri and Koraput was alarming given the ease with which the armed rebels had been striking in villages and killing people who they assume are police informers.

Stepping up the operation and neutralising the rebels has become imperative because the spurt in Maoist activities might erode the confidence of people in the government, the source added.

The operation against the rebels in Malkangiri and Koraput is also of crucial importance considering their top commander, Ramakrishna, a central committee member of banned CPI (Maoist), is believed to be taking shelter in the forests of these districts.

Malkangiri superintendent of police Mitrabhanu Mahapatra had recently said that Ramakrishna suffered injuries in an encounter with the security forces on the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border in October last year.

His son Munna was among the 22 Maoists killed in that encounter that had dealt a major blow to the rebels operating in the area.

Security forces have been combing the forests on the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border in the hope of nabbing Ramakrishna who, they believe, cannot go far because of his injuries.

"It will be a big achievement for us if we are able to catch the rebel commander alive," the police officer said.