A security guard died when suspected Maoists launched an attack on the residence of Chhattisgarh women and child development minister Lata Usendi at Kondagaon, 220 km south of Raipur, on Thursday night.

“The minister was about 20 km away from her house when the incident occurred.

The forces have been put on alert in the area,” said Ram Niwas, additional director general of police (anti-Maoist operation).

The number of Maoists involved in the attack is yet to be known, but police suspect there were two of them who came on a motorcycle.

Niwas told Hindustan Times that two suspected Maoists came on a motorbike and opened fire on the security guards positioned at the minister’s house at Kondagaon. The minister was not available for comment.

Besides Sukma, Kondagaon was the other new district created this January.

Following the abduction of a collector, the state government had declared that it would “revise” its strategy’ and give forces a free-hand to retaliate and go ahead with the area domination operation.

Apparently unhappy over the incident the chief minister Raman Singh ordered the removal the Kondagaon superintendent of police Deepak Kumar Jha.