Four Central Reserve Police Force personnel, including a deputy commandant, were killed on Monday and two others were injured in a landmine blast suspected to have been triggered by Maoists in Bastar in Chhattisgarh.
Senior police officers said that the terrorists blew up a CRPF vehicle killing the deputy commandant Diwakar Mahapatra, his driver L Kore Singh and two jawans--N K Jha and S D Burman.
"The road opening party was on its way to Chitrakoot where President
Pratibha Patil, currently in the state, was to pay a visit," a CRPF spokesman in Delhi said.
As the vehicle reached Mardoom in the interior of Bastar district, the Maoists triggered the powerful blast, he said.
One of the injured was airlifted to Raipur for treatment, he said.
The officers said extra reinforcements have been rushed to the blast site, 30 km from Chitrakoot, and a combing operation was on. All the injured personnel were from the 41st battalion of CRPF.