By IANS,
Ranchi : Eleven policemen were killed in separate Maoist attacks in Bokaro district of Jharkhand Friday, police said.
According to police, Maoists attacked a State Bank of India (SBI) branch near Fusro market of Bokaro town Friday afternoon, killing two personnel of the state police. At least 10 other people were injured in the indiscriminate firing by the rebels.
A gun battle was on between security forces and the rebels in the Bermo police station area of Bokaro after the attack.
Maoist rebels also detonated a land mine in Nawadih area of Bokaro district, killing at least nine security personnel, state Director General of Police V.D. Ram said.
Maoist had called a strike Friday in six states including Jharkhand to protest the killing of Venkat Reddy, a member of the central committee of banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist).
Maoist guerrillas are active in 18 of the 24 districts of Jharkhand. Nearly 1,500 people have been killed in Maoist-related violence in the last eight years.