By IANS,
Bokaro (Jharkhand): Thirteen security personnel were killed in two separate Maoist attacks in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district Friday, police said.
Maoists attacked a State Bank of India (SBI) branch near Fusro market of Bokaro town on Friday afternoon, killing two personnel of the state police, who foiled their attempt to loot money from the bank.
At least 10 people were injured when the rebels hurled bombs and opened indiscriminate fire in the market area.
A gun battle was on between security forces and the rebels in the Bermo police station area of Bokaro after the attack.
Maoist rebels detonated a land mine in Nawadih area of Bokaro district, killing at least 11 security personnel and injuring eight, state’s Director General of Police (DGP) V.D. Ram said. The killed security personnel belonged to the Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) and Special Armed Force (SAF) raised to fight the Maoist rebels.
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) in Andhra Pradesh recently.
This is the second major Maoist attack in last two days. Maoist rebels Wednesday ambushed a police party in West Singhbhum district, killing 11 security personnel belonging to both the state police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
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.