Seven cops dead in Maoist attack

Nagpur: Seven policemen were killed and two others injured when Maoists carried out a landmine blast in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district on Sunday.

The incident occurred at 9:40 am when the policemen were moving for an operational task in the forest between Pavimuranda and Murmuri villages in Chamorshi taluka of the district. Officials said the slain security personnel belong to the specialised C-60 anti-Naxal operations force of Maharashtra and the blast took place when their vehicle was moving along the Murmuri-Chamuri axis of the district.

"We have lost seven of our men in the attack carried out by Naxalites.The incident occured in Gadchiroli," a senior police officer said.

The injured have been airlifted to Nagpur while additional reinforcements of security personnel have been sent, they said.

After the landmine blast, there was an exchange of fire between the police and Maoists. The Maoist attacks comes days after five police personnel and three polling officials were killed when suspected Maoists targeted the bus in which they were travelling in Sikaripara block of Jharkhand’s Dumka district on April 24.