Maoists blow up police station in Orissa

Maoists blew up a police station in Orissa's Nabarangpur district on Thursday night, police said. No casualties or injuries were reported in the attack. About 30 heavily armed rebels, including women, stormed into Kundei under Raighar block and triggered a powerful explosion to blow up the police station, district Superintendent of Police Praful Barik said.

The Naxals snapped electricity supply in the area before launching their attack, he said, adding telecom, including mobile network, was affected

in the area. Security forces are being sent to the spot, the SP said adding that they fear Maoists might have planted landmines while fleeing into the forests. Located near the Chhattisgarh border, the police station was upgraded from an outpost about six months ago, officials said adding that the police station remains closed after sunset in view of its high vulnerability to Maoist attack.

A police station at Bisrampur in Chhattisgarh, barely a kilometre from Kundei, was razed about six months ago by the Maoists.