Maoists kill four security personnel in W Midnapore district

GIDHNI: In a surprise attack by the Maoists, four security personnel were killed and their arms looted in Jhargram sub-division of Naxal affected West Midnapore district today.

Kuldip Singh, IG (Western Range), said the jawans of the Eastern Frontier Rifles were attacked when they were patrolling near a police camp close to a school in Gidhni Bazaar area under Jamboni police station.

The bodies of all the four jawans were lying at the bazaar area. The Maoists escaped with arms looted from the slain jawans.

The incident took place at around 5.30 pm after the Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and senior state government officials left West Midnapore district for Kolkata after a two-day visit, police said.

Yesterday, the Maoists had killed three youths hours before the chief minister's arrival in the district.

The bullet-riddled bodies of Lakhi Das, Jayram Mandi and Manoranjan, all Jharkhand Party activits, were found with their hands and legs bound on a road in Kusbani jungle, about 70 km from Midnapore town.

The ultras had also shot at and injured a former Marxist legislator.