Maoist landmine attack claims 11 cops

Jamshedpur, Aug 30 (PTI) Maoists today blew up a police vehicle killing all eleven policemen including a subinspector on board in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district, a senior police officer said.
"Subinspector Ravikant Sinha, six constables, three havildars and a police driver died on the spot after their vehicle was blown apart near Burudih dam in Ghatsila subdivision by a landmine," Inspector General of Police S N Pradhan told PTI in Ranchi.

The police team was returning after long range patrol when the blast occured. "It is the handiwork of one or two Maoists," Pradhan said, adding that although initially twelve people were claimed to have been killed, the final report said eleven police personnel died in the explosion. Reinforcements were sent to comb the area, he said.

Today's incident comes one-and-a-half months after Maoists gunned down JD(U) MLA Ramesh Singh Munda and four of his bodyguards. A DSP was also killed in a Maoist attack in Bundu near Ranchi in July. PTI