Bihar: Naxals abduct two men, disrupt rail services

The rail service on the line was hampered between midnight last night and 7 am this morning.

Lakhisarai, Aug 3: The Naxals abducted two cabin men and disrupted rail services on two railway lines near Lakhisarai in Bihar. Naxalites are on a week-long protest marked as 'Shahadat Saptah'.

The railway services, which was hampered after midnight last night on the Kiul-Jhajha rail section and the Kiul- Jamalpur rail section, were later restored in the morning on both the lines, officials said.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Pawan Kumar Upadhyaya said that Naxalites, numbering around 15-20, kidnapped a cabin man of Gopalpur railway halt on Kiul-Jhajha rail section and asked him to stop rail services.

The rail service on the line was hampered between midnight last night and 7 am this morning, ASP said adding that Naxalites later released the cabin man.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Pankaj Kumar said that Naxalites had also kidnapped and threatened the cabin man of Urain railway station on Kiul-Jamalpur rail section and asked him to stop rail services on the line.

The rail service on the line was restored after 4 am this morning, he said and added that Naxalites released the cabin man. Naxalites are observing a week-long "shahadat saptah" that would come to an end today, official sources said. ASP Upadhyaya said that there was a clash between police and Naxalites near Bhalui railway station on Kiul-Jhajha rail section.

A team of CRPF, STF, district police and Cobra battalion made a retaliatory firing in which Naxalites managed to escape, Upadhyaya said and added that no casualty or injuries had been reported in the incident. Police are carrying out a combing-cum-search operation to nab the Naxalites, he added.

PTI