Politicians in Maharashtra were advised against flying over the Naxal-hit Gadchiroli district,where the Maoist guerrillas mowed down 17 police personnel on Thursday,revealed a top police officer on Friday. "Naxals may strike politicians flying over the region. It's better that they avoid flying over these areas as Maoists may go to any extent to disrupt (coming assembly) elections," N S Jagtap,spokesperson of Gadchiroli police,told said over phone. In an audacious daylight attack on Thursday,the Maoist rebels ambushed a patrol of policemen and members of the elite anti-Naxalite commando force in Gadchiroli killing 17 of them. Earlier,during the May Lok Sabha election,the Naxalites had opened fire at a helicopter carrying policemen,but it had a miraculous escape despite the bullets hitting the aircraft,Jagtap said.
