Maoists kill 8 cops in Jharkhand

Eight securitymen,including six CRPF personnel,were killed after CPI (Maoist) cadres opened fire and exploded landmines near Dhardharia

Eight securitymen,including six CRPF personnel,were killed on Tuesday after CPI (Maoist) cadres opened fire and exploded landmines near Dhardharia,under Senha block in Lohardaga district of Jharkhand.

R K Malik,IG (operations) told The Indian Express that the serial mine explosions occurred at around 10.30 am when the security forces were marching on foot in the dirt track,deep inside the forest area near Dhardharia,to carry out raids following a directive by Lohardaga SP A V Minz.

We had received inputs that the extremists were camping in the area, Minz confirmed. But since Minz had sent them on operation without verifying the bonafide of the

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inputs,his move proved to be a death trap,sources claimed.

Six CRPF personnel,including four of the 133 battalion Sub Inspector Pratap Singh,head constables Satbir Singh and D N Singh and constable Gajendra Singh and two personnel of the 94 battalion head constable D C Deka and constable Radhakrishna succumbed to injuries. Two policemen belonging to Lohardaga district unit V K Rai and Dinesh Mahato also died in the ambush. At least 15 securitymen were injured. The injured are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Lohardaga and Ranchi.

Although it is not clear whether the Maoists had looted the weapons of the deceased securitymen,CRPF IG Alok Raj,who visited the area on Tuesday afternoon,told The Indian Express that search operations were on. He added that the toll could be higher since the search of the area was still in progress.

Well come to know of the details soon, said Raj.