Raipur: Ten securitymen were killed in a powerful landmine blast triggered by Maoists around midnight Thursday in Chhattisgarh's restive Bastar region, police said.
The blast took place in a forested area near Katekalyan in Dantewada district, over 400 km south of Raipur.
"It was a massive blast, Maoists mainly the women insurgents blew up an anti-landmine vehicle around midnight when policemen were moving in two vehicles on a search operation based on specific intelligence input," Ram Niwas, additional director general of Police (Maoist operation), told reporters.
He said that the anti-landmine vehicle was tossed up in the air by the blast before it landed in pieces.
The deceased included seven special police officers (SPOs) and three state police personnel. Four policemen sustained multiple injuries and were battling for life at a government hospital at Jagdalpur town, headquarters of Bastar region.
It was the second deadly attack in the state by Maoists Thursday after they gunned down five state policemen in Narayanpur district's Bastar region.
IANS
First Published: Friday, June 10, 2011, 08:12