Eight killed in Naxal encounter

GAYA: Eight persons, including five Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) personnel and an ASI, were killed and three others seriously injured in a heavy exchange of fire between police and banned CPI (Maoist) activists at Raniganj here on Thursday.

A police team rushed to the Raniganj branch of the Punjab National Bank in Gaya district after receiving information about armed men encircling the bank, Deputy Inspector General (Magadh Range) Praveen Basistha said. When they reached the spot, the activists of the ultra-Left outfit started firing indiscriminately at the policemen, leading to the encounter, he said.

While four SAP personnel died on the spot, another who sustained gun-shot injuries was declared brought dead at the A N Medical college and hospital here, Basistha said.