Bhubaneswar, July 9: Red terror is beginning to take a toll on the morale of the forces fighting it.

Five homeguards attached to the Machkund police station in the Maoist-dominated Koraput district decided to quit today after one of their colleagues was gunned down by the Maoists on Thursday. A police constable was also killed in the incident.

Sources said the homeguards — Panchanan Jena, Rajesh Hantal, Umacharan Das, Jagannath Khinigudi and Rabindra Nath Sahu — submitted their resignations to Harekrushna Mallick, assistant sub-inspector of Machkund police station.

This is the first case of mass resignation by homeguards, members of an auxiliary force assisting the police, following a perceived threat from the Maoists, who now have a presence in 17 of the state’s 30 districts. Rabindranath Sahu, one of the home guards who have resigned, said they were left with no choice as their life was in danger.

Thursday’s incident, which has struck terror in the hearts of policemen and homeguards, occurred close to the Machkund police station. The rebels gunned down constable Bala Dakri and homeguard Binod Hantal in broad daylight while they were returning to their base from the Ankadeli weekly market.

The Maoists also killed two other persons the same day at Karanjamandi village in the neighbouring Rayagada district suspecting them to be police informers. One of the victims was the husband of a local sarpanch, who now lives in fear like most others in the village.

Fear of the Maoists also continues to stalk Malkangiri district where the rebels kidnapped six persons including a former rebel on Tuesday. While four of those abducted, who belonged to Potteru village, were later set free, one of them, Suba Badnami, a former Maoist, was killed and his body dumped in MV-36 village. Another person is still in the custody of the Maoists who appear to be striking at will.

A combing operation through Koraput, Rayagada and Malkangiri districts has been intensified in the wake of these incidents but the security forces engaged in the anti-Maoist operation are yet to taste success. Sources said the movement of the forces that include the BSF and the elite Special Operations Group jawans, was being made difficult by innumerable roadblocks set up by the rebels by felling trees.

“Road communication between Narayanpatna and Parvatipuram in Andhra Pradesh has virtually been cut off because of these roadblocks. It is difficult even to reach Bandhugaon,” said a police officer.