Maoists kill six cops in Bastar

RAIPUR: Naxals ambushed a police party killing six personnel and injuring three others in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district on Friday. The police team was on its way to Netanar village, where Naxals had damaged a forest department rest house last night in retaliatory fire, Superintendent of Police, Bastar, Ratan Lal Dange said.

The Naxals set off an IED and opened fire on the policemen as they approached the village, 300 kilometres from Raipur. Six policemen were killed on the spot and three were injured in the attack, the SP said. Two policemen are still missing, he added.

The attack is the second in Chhattisgarh since October 7, when three policemen were slain in a similar ambush. Violence by Maoist rebels in 2010 left a record 1,169 people dead, according to the Centre's figures. In the last one year, at least 634 personnel from the police and paramilitary forces were killed, mainly in anti-Maoist operations.

The deaths took place between September 1, 2010, and August 31 this year. The CRPF, which is in the forefront of anti-Maoist operations, topped the list with 114 personnel killed.