Landmine kills 14 federal troopers in eastern India

INDIA: At least 14 Indian paramilitary soldiers died when a landmine planted by suspected Maoist rebels exploded in the troubled eastern state of Jharkhand, officials said.

Six other troopers were injured in the attack that destroyed their vehicle near the steel-producing town of Bokaro, some 130 kilometres (80 miles) from Jharkhand state capital Ranchi, deputy police chief Gauri Shankar told AFP.

"Fourteen security personnel died instantly and six more were severely injured in the landmine blast at Bokaro," Shankar said in Ranchi.

The security personnel were returning from an anti-guerrilla patrol when one of their trucks was blown up by the suspected Maoist guerrillas, he said.

The dead victims included a sub-inspector, two corporals and 11 special task force troopers, added deputy inspector-general of police Anil Palta.

He said the landmine packed in a milk can was detonated as the two-truck convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) drove into the village of Kanchir, some 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Bokaro city.

Kanchir is believed to be a key headquarters of the armed wing of the Maoists in Jharkhand.A CRPF spokesman in the Indian capital said an electronic timer appeared to have been used to detonate the landmine.

New Delhi airlifted squads of its elite Black Cat commandos to Jharkhand to launch an anti-Maoist operation in mineral-rich state.

The attack came a week after the CRPF destroyed three Maoist strongholds in the dense woods of Bokaro.

None of Jharkhand's host of groups fighting the Indian government claimed responsibility for the attack.

But state deputy police chief Shankar said he suspected the ambush was staged by the outlawed guerrilla force of the Communist Party of India Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML).Saturday's blast came less than two weeks after Indian troopers killed nine Maoist militants in adjacent Andhra Pradesh state in one of the bloodiest military operations in recent years against the left wing guerrillas.

The police say strong political and military links have developed between insurgent groups of Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh since 2004, when all outlawed Maoist forums came under the umbrella of the CPI-ML.

RANCHI, Sunday, AFP