Nine policemen killed in landmine blast in Bastar

Jagdalpur, May 28 (UNI) Nine policemen were killed and three others injured tonight when Maoists triggered a landmine blast at village Kudur under Mardapal police station area in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh.

Police sources said the personnel belonging to the district police were partolling on motor cycle when the Naxalites triggered the blast.

The condition of two of the injured were reported to be serious.

Police sources said the deceased have been identified as Assistant sub-inspector R Nayak, constables Akhilesh Saroj, Shiv Netam, Manikraj Dhurv, Khilavan, Lalit Diwan, Hajendra Kashyap, Roopdhar Sodi and Sunder Netam.

Constables Ambika Marege and Baldev Netam were seriously injuured while the name of other injured constable was not not immediately available.

It was only yesterday that the Communist Party of India (Maoists) had called a 'Dandakaranya bandh' to protest against the alleged fake encounter at village Ponjer near Bijapur in which six people had lost their lives.

During the bandh, the Maoists blew up a railway bridge and triggered landmine blast at several places and also set ablaze properties of a steel company.

Two months ago, the Naxalites had set ablaze a police camp at Ranibodli, killing 55 security personnel, including 39 special police officers, on March 15. UNI