Four personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force were killed and two injured when Maoists blew up a mine-protected vehicle in poll-bound Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Saturday, police said.
The incident occurred around 4pm near the Murdanda camp of the CRPF when its 168th battalion was out on an area-domination operation, Bijapur superintendent of police Mohit Garg said.
When the MPV carrying six personnel was around 1km from the camp, the Maoists triggered a powerful land mine blast, he said. “Four paramilitary personnel were killed and two others were injured.”
Reinforcements were rushed to the spot immediately and the injured personnel were evacuated, the official said.
The attack took place on a day chief minister Raman Singh launched the ruling BJP’s campaign for the first phase of polls on November 12 in neighbouring Sukma district.
The first phase of the election will cover 18 constituencies in eight Maoist-affected districts.
The Maoists recently put up posters in parts of Bastar calling for a boycott of the polls.
