Top officer, 8 policemen killed in Naxal attack

Raipur, May 24 (PTI) A top officer and eight other
policemen were killed in a landmine blast triggered by Naxals
in a jungle in Chhattisgarh's Gariabandh district bordering
Orissa, in the eastern region of India.
Senior police officials Tuesday said that a 10-member
police team led by Additional Superintendent of Police Rajesh
Pawar was sent to Amamora and Sonabed jungle Monday following
reports of Maoist movement in the area.
When the police team was returning Monday evening,
their vehicle broke down following which they boarded a
tractor. The Maoists then triggered a landmine blast in which
the tractor was blown up. Nine policemen were killed in the
attack, the officials said, adding a hunt is on for the
missing policeman.
After contact with the team was lost, the Chhattisgarh
Police rushed a big team of Central Reserve Police Force
(CRPF) and Special Task Force (STF) to the area.
As the site of the attack was closer to Orissa, police
in the neighbouring state was alerted and requested to send a
team to the spot.
A police team was sent on foot to the attack site
situated in thick jungles. The police teams, which reached the
spot, informed about the attack.
The bodies of the policemen killed in the attack are
being brought to Gariabandh.