45 killed as Maoists blow up bus in India
Police officials killed were returning after successful operation in which two Maoists were killed
By Iftikhar Gilani
NEW DELHI: At least 45 people were killed after Maoist rebels blew up a bus carrying police and civilians in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh on Monday.
The Maoists known as Naxalites attacked the bus in remote forests of Dantewada district 400 kilometres from state capital Raipur. The attack came within a month of killing of 76 paramilitary forces personnel in the same region.
The SPOs, who are civilians assisting police in fighting the Naxals, were returning after a successful operation killing two Maoists, while their commander ran away.
Reports said while most of the operation team was walking back on foot, some of them boarded a civilian bus. Rebels had planted an IED on a metalled road and detonated it as the bus rolled over it.
Early reports said at least 30 people had been killed in the landmine blast. But Special DG V Raman said, "I fear at least 50 dead, we are checking." Information is hard to access in this Naxal-infested area.
There are dense forests and nightfall shall make rescue operations even more difficult with landmines dotting the area.
The attack came a day before the Maoists' call for a 48-hour bandh in five states, including Chhattisgarh, from Tuesday in protest against the security operations launched against them.
As soon as the news of the attack came, Home Minister P Chidambaram called on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to apprise him of the situation. It is believed that Singh is upset over the spate of attacks. An additional secretary is monitoring a special control room set up in the Home Ministry to collect complete details to pass on to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
Sources said the PM was so disturbed that he was even talking in terms of postponing the celebrations planned for next Monday to mark the sixth anniversary of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule.
They were, however, unable to state if the prime minister would also call off the press conference slated for the occasion.
"The PM has to make the final call in the matter," a PMO official said.
The Maoists on Sunday also killed six villagers, including a sarpanch, and threw their bodies outside the villages.
They also shot dead and then burnt alive a Youth Congress leader, Hemant Bage, in nearby province of Jharkhand.
Bage was a block president of the Youth Congress. The Maoists left behind posters warning that there would be more such killings if Operation Green Hunt, the counter-offensive launched against them, was not withdrawn immediately.
By Iftikhar Gilani
NEW DELHI: At least 45 people were killed after Maoist rebels blew up a bus carrying police and civilians in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh on Monday.
The Maoists known as Naxalites attacked the bus in remote forests of Dantewada district 400 kilometres from state capital Raipur. The attack came within a month of killing of 76 paramilitary forces personnel in the same region.
The SPOs, who are civilians assisting police in fighting the Naxals, were returning after a successful operation killing two Maoists, while their commander ran away.
Reports said while most of the operation team was walking back on foot, some of them boarded a civilian bus. Rebels had planted an IED on a metalled road and detonated it as the bus rolled over it.
Early reports said at least 30 people had been killed in the landmine blast. But Special DG V Raman said, "I fear at least 50 dead, we are checking." Information is hard to access in this Naxal-infested area.
There are dense forests and nightfall shall make rescue operations even more difficult with landmines dotting the area.
The attack came a day before the Maoists' call for a 48-hour bandh in five states, including Chhattisgarh, from Tuesday in protest against the security operations launched against them.
As soon as the news of the attack came, Home Minister P Chidambaram called on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to apprise him of the situation. It is believed that Singh is upset over the spate of attacks. An additional secretary is monitoring a special control room set up in the Home Ministry to collect complete details to pass on to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
Sources said the PM was so disturbed that he was even talking in terms of postponing the celebrations planned for next Monday to mark the sixth anniversary of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule.
They were, however, unable to state if the prime minister would also call off the press conference slated for the occasion.
"The PM has to make the final call in the matter," a PMO official said.
The Maoists on Sunday also killed six villagers, including a sarpanch, and threw their bodies outside the villages.
They also shot dead and then burnt alive a Youth Congress leader, Hemant Bage, in nearby province of Jharkhand.
Bage was a block president of the Youth Congress. The Maoists left behind posters warning that there would be more such killings if Operation Green Hunt, the counter-offensive launched against them, was not withdrawn immediately.