Naxalites gun down 17 cops in Maharashtra ambush

As many as 17 policemen were gunned down by a group of about 150 Naxalites who ambushed them in a thickly forested area under the Laheri police station of Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra this afternoon.

Those killed included a police sub-inspector, District Collector Atul Patne told NetIndian over the telephone. He said two other policemen had been injured in the attack.

The men were part of a group of about 40 policemen who were conducting search operations in the area after intelligence reports had indicated that Naxalites had gathered there. The district is on the state's border with Chhattisgarh.

The police party was returning when they they walked into the ambush and came under heavy fire. The gunfight that followed lasted for nearly four hours and ended around 1600 hours, Mr Patne said.

He said the bodies of the slain policemen had been recovered and brought to the Laheri police outpost.

Today's attack on policemen by the Naxalites came just two days after a police inspector in Jharkhand was beheaded by Maoists after they kidnapped him on September 30.

The attack seemed to pose a direct challenge to the state after Union Home Minister P Chidambaram made it clear yesterday that the Government would have no option but to engage the Naxalites till they laid down their arms. At the same time, he said state governments could talk with Naxal groups on development-related issues if they abjured the path of violence.

As news of the ambush came in, the district administration sent reinforcements, consisting of paramilitary personnel, to the spot. They were able to save the rest of the policemen, sources said.

Elections to the state legislative assembly are due to be held in Maharashtra on October 13. Unlike earlier occasions, this time the polling is being conducted in a single phase on that date. It is understood that the state government has sought additional forces to cope with the latest situation.

NNN