Tamil Nadu Police have tightened vigil in the forest areas of Nilgiris district bordering Kerala and Tamil Nadu to prevent infiltration of Maoists from the neighbouring state in the wake of exchange of fire between ultras and police in Kerala's Wayanad district.
Search operations by a team led by Nilgiris district Superintendent of Police Senthil Kumar with sophisticated weapons inside the jungles were underway, police said.
Checking has been intensified in the border areas and checkposts with deployment of additional forces, police said.
Vigil has been stepped up in areas like Nadugani, Kakkanallah, Ovalley, Bidirkadui, Ayyankolli, Cherampadi and Mudumalai, even as armed police forces were on alert at all the police stations, they said, adding, vehicle checks were also intensified to prevent them from crossing to Tamil Nadu.
Maoists and Thunderbolt commandos of the Kerala Police, who were on a search operation, had exchanged several rounds of fire near a tribal colony at Vellamunda in the hilly Wayanad district yesterday.
After firing at the commandos, the Maoists fled to deep forests. However, no one was injured in the firing.
