Kondagaon (Chhattisgarh), May 18 (IANS): Suspected Maoists opened fire at the house of Chhattisgarh Sports Minister Lata Usendi in Kondagoan district Thursday evening, killing her security guard, police said. The minister was not at the house at that time.

The attack on the lone woman cabinet minister in Chhattisgarh's Bharatiya Janata Party government stunned the police officials and local authorities who had no clue about the Maoists' raid.

The minister was not present at home when suspected guerillas sprayed bullets on her house and walked away with Insas rifle of the guard, who was identified as Ratanlal Netam. According to top official sources, she was in another village, around 12 km away.

The attack site is located some 200 km south from state capital Raipur.

"The attack was carried out by a small action team of the banned terror outfit Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist). The motorcycle-borne two or three attackers pumped at least three bullets into the security guard and he succumbed to injuries on way to hospital," Additional Director General of Police (Maoist operation) Ramniwas told IANS.

The police officer said that the entire district has sealed off to track down the attackers.

Kondagaon was carved out as a new district in January this year.