Naxals attack police posts, kill seven

At least seven people, including five policemen, were killed when hundreds of Naxalites attacked two police outposts around midnight on Saturday in Rohtas district of south Bihar.

At least seven people, including five policemen, were killed when hundreds of Naxalites attacked two police outposts around midnight on Saturday in Rohtas district of south Bihar. The rebels stripped the policemen of their arms and ammunition before retreating into darkness.

The police, however, secured some success this afternoon when it claimed to have engaged one contingent of the retreating Naxals in adjacent Aurangabad district. “A fierce encounter with the police is on. Top police officers are leading the encounter. We have recovered seven sophisticated arms from the Maoists,” said IG (Headquarters) Anil Sinha.

The policemen were caught off guard last night when hundreds of armed Naxalites attacked two police outposts—Rajpur and Baghaila—simultaneously, some 5 km apart and around 40 km from the district headquarters Sasaram.

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Police spokesman Anil Sinha said the Maoists numbering around 200-300 first hurled petrol bombs and grenades setting the police outposts on fire and resorted to burst firing. He said three policemen were killed at Baghaila and two at Rajpur. Five injured policemen have been rushed to Varanasi for treatment. One villager, Vijay Singh, was also killed in the attack.

Sinha said the policemen too returned fire and fought back. Local reports, however, had it that the Naxals compelled the police to surrender and give up their arms and ammunition. The Naxalites looted four SLRs, eight .303 rifles, two INSAS rifles and three carbines besides large quantity of ammunition. The Naxals then used dynamites to blow up the two police outposts.

On the ongoing encounter, Sinha said soon after getting information of the attack, SPs of two districts—Rohtas and Aurangabad—rushed with enforcements and sealed all retreat points of the Naxals. “It was due to this strategic measure that we have been able to locate the retreating Maoists and presently a fierce encounter is on. We hope to nab the culprits,” Sinha said and added that details of the encounter were still awaited.

The attack comes close on the heels of the two-day economic blockade enforced by the Naxals on June 26-27 against acquisition of land for setting up industries and repressive activities against the Naxal movement. Sinha said the latest attack was a sign of desperation on the part of the Maoists as the police were continuously outwitting them. “In recent times, we have recovered huge amounts of arms and ammunition from the Naxals and foiled many attacks,” he pointed out.