Maoist rebels kill 10 Indian paramilitary soldiers in ambush
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Two Indian soldiers stand next to the remains of a troop transport vehicle in the Palamau district in the Indian state of Jharkhand on January 28, 2016. ©AFP
Maoist rebels have killed at least 10 paramilitary soldiers in an ambush in eastern India, police sources say.
According to Press TV, police sources said the paramilitary soldiers were killed as their convoy hit a landmine in the dense forests of Aurangabad district in the eastern state of Bihar on Monday afternoon.
“Ten of our men were killed in the blast and five are injured,” a senior police officer, who asked not to be named, said Tuesday.
At least three rebels were killed in the gunfight that followed the attack, police said.
The troops were conducting an anti-Maoist insurgency operation.
Saurabh Kumar, Deputy Inspector General of police in the region, said, “We called off the operation late at night as we suspect more mines were planted in the area. We are in control now.”
“A combing operation is on. A few Naxals (Maoist rebels) have also been killed in the attack,” he added.
The rebels have been fighting against the Chhattisgarh State governing authority and central government for years.
They are most active in states of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, which cover vast swathes of land.
India’s Home Ministry has described the Maoists as the country’s greatest internal threat.
More than 6,600 people, including civilians, militants and security forces, have died in the Maoist-related clashes over the past three decades.
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