India's Maoists kill 15 policemen in separate attacks

[News_Editor]

India's Maoists kill 15 policemen in separate attacks

2011-06-11 00:22:07 GMT+7 (ICT)

DANTEWADA, INDIA (BNO NEWS) -- At least 15 policemen were killed in two separate attacks by suspected Maoist rebels in India's central state of Chhattisgarh, the Times of India reported on Friday.

Earlier on Thursday, Maoists launched an attack on a newly opened police camp in Narayanpur district with light machine guns and mortars, killing five policemen. According to police, this is the first time Maoists use mortars.

"The mortar and explosives appear to have been looted from security forces," said Mayank Srivastava, the superintendent of police, Narayanpur.

The second incident took place late Thursday night when Maoists triggered a powerful explosion that flung an anti-landmine vehicle in the air, killing 10 of 13 policemen. An anti-landmine truck is meant to withstand the impact of an explosion, but it appeared the blast had propelled the truck at least 50 meters up in the air. Three survivors were flown to a nearby town for treatment.

According to police, the Maoists took an AK-47 and an INSAS rifle from two of the five dead policemen in Narayanpur. Meanwhile, in Dantewada, the Maoists took away a 2 inch mortar, 4 SLR rifles, 2 INSAS rifles, and ten ammunition pouches containing 1000 rounds of bullets.

More than one-third of India's 626 administrative districts are affected by the Maoist insurgency. At least 1,170 rebels, troops and civilians were killed in insurgency-related incidents in 2010.

The Maoists say they are fighting for the rights of tribal, landless and poor people in the country's poorest regions.

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