11 policemen killed in Jharkhand landmine blast

Their weapons, including six Insas rifles and four pistols, lying scattered near the blast site were recovered by the police. Investigations by the police revealed that it was the handiwork of some Maoists rather than that of a hit squad. "Otherwise, as is normal practice, they would have decamped with the weapons," East Singhbhum SP Naveen Singh told The Sunday Express.

The blast occurred at around 1.30 pm when the policemen led by Sinha were returning to Ghatshila by a Commander jeep after conducting raids in the area. The impact of the blast was such that the jeep was blown to pieces. “It went up in the air like a football,” an eyewitness is reported to have told the police.

Sources in the police said the accident occurred because the policemen had violated a standing instruction given to them — not to return by the same route they had used to reach the area. “Since they did not follow it and preferred to return by the same route, they were ambushed by the Maoist cadres,” said IG Pradhan. The number of policemen killed by the Naxalites has already gone up to 22 since January this year against eight and 43 in 2007 and 2006, respectively.