Naxalites ambush police vehicle, kill 3 JAP jawans

Ranchi, Mar 17(UNI) Three Jharkhand Armed Police jawans were killed, two injured and another one missing after naxalites blew up their vehicle in a landmine blast in Palamu district today, police said.

They also torched a private bus and blew up a road bridge in the district.

The ultras torched the private bus after asking the passengers to disembark near Harhanj-Kori-Mati area in the district. The bus, coming from Daltanganj, was headed for Ranchi via Panki. Later the naxalites blew up the bridge on Panki-Balmuth road.

On receiving the information when police was rushing to the spot, the extremists blew up their vehicle by triggering a landmine, in which three JAP jawans were killed on the spot and two injured critically. Another jawan was missing.

The injured were shifted to the hospital, police said.

The deceased had been identified as Aklesh Pandey, Infan Khan and Niraj Kumar Singh.

Senior civil and police officials with reinforcement immediately rushed to the area and launched a combing operation to nab the extremists.

The naxalites also blew up a school building in Dhanbad district last night.

UNI SCS KK VD ND1734