Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), May 11
Seven police commandos were killed on Sunday when Maoists set off a landmine in the thick forests of Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra.

The incident occurred around 9.30 a.m. near Murmuri village, around 35 km from this town, officials said. At least two more commandos were injured in the deadly attack. The Maoists set off the blast when a police commando team was moving in a vehicle for security operations in the forested region. The injured were airlifted to Nagpur while additional security forces rushed to the site of the attack.

Officials said the slain security personnel belonged to the specialised C-60 anti-Naxal operations force of Maharashtra and the blast took place when their vehicle was moving along the Murmuri-Chamuri axis of the district. "We have lost seven of our men in the attack carried out by Naxalites. The incident occured in Gadchiroli," a senior police officer said. The injured have been airlifted to Nagpur, they said.

Vinod Tawde, leader of opposition in the Legislative Council, hit out at the intelligence agencies. "The Gadchiroli police had nabbed a think-tank member GN Saibaba from New Delhi. The state intelligence agencies should have anticipated retaliatory action by the Maoists," Tawde said. — Agencies