Maoists attack railway station and police station in Bihar

Gaya (Bihar), June 16: Suspected Maoist guerrillas today (June 16) set fire to a railway station, attacked a police station and blew up six mobile phone towers of private telecom companies at different places to enforce 24-hour bandh to protest the arrest of their central committee leader Jagdish Master alias Jagdish Yadav in Bihar's Gaya district.

"Maoists attacked Kothi police station and blasted six mobile phone towers at different places to enforce the bandh called by the ultras," City Superintendent of Police Ratnamani Sanjeev said.

"Heavily armed Maoist cadre attacked the police station early today but alert policemen fired 150 rounds to chase them away," he said adding that no casualty was reported in the exchange of fire between the securitymen and Maoists.

According to a report from Jehanabad, over 25 ultras stormed Nadaul railway station on Patna-Gaya section of East Central Railway, held the railway employees including a station master captive for some time and torched the booking counter, files and control panel.

The train services in the route was disrupted for more than 4 hours and resumed this morning after repair, sources said.

The ultras blasted two mobile phone towers at Imamganj bazzar in Gaya district, the police said. Maoists also blew up two towers one at Diburiya and another in Dobhi, Sanjeev said.

A combing operation has been launched in the area to arrest the ultras.

Maoists have called 24-hour shut down in Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to protest against the arrest of their leader Jagdish Master.

The top Maoists leader, carrying a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh on his head was arrested from Gurua in Gaya district a couple of days ago.

PTI