one BSF personnel killed, nine injured in lanmine blast

West Midnapore, Nov 21 (UNI) One BSF personnel was killed and nine others seriously injured in a landmine blast at Hatidoba village near Tarafeni barrage under Belpahari police station here this morning.

District Magistrate B P Borat said the explosion occurred at around 0830 hours when about 25 police personnel were on a routine walking patrol on the village road on the border areas of Bankura district.

Mr Borat said the maoists are involved in this attack.

SDPO Jhargram rushed to the spot with a big police contingent to take stock of the situation. BSF personnel under the leadership of Biplab Mandal, Deputy Commandant BSF, are combing the area to trace the ultras.

The injured have been taken to Jhargram hospital. People in the area are panic stricken.

A similar explosion occurred near the same spot three months back when an attempt was made on the life of Superintendent of Police Ajay Nanda while returning from a health camp, organised in the locality by the district police administration.

In this year itself nine people have been killed in Maoist attack in the region. Six of them are police personnel, while three are CPI(M) leaders.

Meanwhile, senior CPI(M) leader and member of CPI(M) District Committee Dahar Sen after having a look of the area agreed that it was deprived of even the basic human facilities.

There was not even a single tubewell operating in the area and villagers were completely dependent on the water from river Tarafeni, he said.

It is understood that there is a rift within the party on the issue of development in the region which is felt to be the main cause of the growth in maoist strength.

UNI XC-BA RD MSJ HS1516