India: Maoists kill security personnel, derail train

At least three security personnel were killed and six others injured, four of them critically, in a fierce encounter with Maoists in Orissa's Gajapati district early on Wednesday, the police said.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of security personnel including the elite anti-Naxal Special Operation Group and the state police had launched a combing operation in Ambajari forest near Paralakhemundi in Orissa in the wee hours of Wednesday. A group of Maoists suddenly opened fired at the security personnel, who retaliated.

In the exchange of fire, three SOG jawans were killed and six others injured, the police said, adding four jawans were shifted to Vishakhapatnam as their condition was stated to be critical.
The dead were identified as Sanjeet K Tirkey, Balram Pradhan and Deepak Sonbhoy, while it is not yet ascertained that there was any casualty from the Maoist side. The forest area, barely 5 km from this district headquarter town, was being thoroughly searched after the gunbattle to arrest the Naxals who fled.

In another incident in nearby Malkangiri district, Maoists blew up a pump house and control room near the pipeline of a private industrial house meant for movement of minerals in Chitrakonda area, the police said.

About 50 armed Ultras raided the area and triggered explosion after overpowering and assaulting the guards present at the site. The Maoists had issued a 48-hour bandh (stoppage) call in seven states, including Bihar starting Monday.

Passengers on board the Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express had a miraculous escape when ten of its coaches and the engine derailed near Gaya station following an explosion triggered by the Maoists, police said. The accident took place late last night between Kasta and Paraiya stations under Gaya-Mughalsarai section of the East Central Railway. Rail traffic was disrupted in the section since midnight as cranes were engaged to remove the affected bogies. Passengers were taken to Mughalsarai by a rescue train from where a special train was arranged to send them to New Delhi.

The explosive planted in the tracks between Kasta and Paraiya stations went off shortly after the train left Gaya station, district Superintendent of Police Sushil Khopde said, adding a medical team with rescue train was sent to the spot. None of the derailed bogies fell on its side which possibly was the reason why no casualty occurred.

Routes of several important trains including New Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani Express were diverted from Mughalsarai to Patna in lieu of Gaya for onward journey. Police recovered a hand bill left by Maoists at the spot claiming the responsibility for the blast.

The 48-hour bandh has been called by the Communist Party of India-Maoist in Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and three districts of Maharashtra to protest against the 'Operation Green Hunt' launched against them.

- Asian Tribune -