There were 13 alerts, giving specific locations in Gadchiroli about a possible Naxal attack on security forces to avenge the killing of 40 Naxals in 2018. The first input was shared on March 21 and since then there were a dozen intelligence alerts of an impending attack.

On April 27, a Naxal leader Ramko was killed in an encounter with the Maharashtra Police's C-60 in Gundurwahi forest area of Gadchiroli. This killing became a trigger for the Wednesday attack, sources said. A report accessed by India Today TV, states that there were many inputs, mostly about plans to avenge the 2018 Kasanasur incident where 40 Naxals were killed. The inputs indicated that a possible attack could take place in Gadchiroli.

According to the report, that came two days prior to the deadly attack that killed 15 jawans, Naxal leader Bhaskar Huchami had called a meeting in the Laheri Police Station area to avenge the Kasanasur incident.

The location of the blast on Wednesday, falls between two police stations. Inputs about the possibility of an attack also mentioned a plot to target security forces within the limits of these two police stations - Kukheda and Purada.

Sources said that the first anniversary of last year's killing, followed by the killing of a big Naxal leader on April 27 and Labour Day provided a fertile ground for the Naxals to strike and motivate its cadres. A team of 40 Naxal were chosen to carry out the attack.

Similar incidents took place in 2009 when Maoists burnt vehicles to target police personnel as they visited the site for investigation. In one such incident, 17 personnel were killed in Gadchiroli.

The same modus operandi was used on May 1 to ambush the security personnel. Maoists set ablaze 27 vehicles engaged in road construction work about five kilometre from Purad.