Maoists kill CRPF trooper in Jharkhand

RANCHI - Maoists killed a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district Friday during the fifth and final phase of panchayat polls in the state, police said.

“One CRPF personnel was killed and three others were injured in a landmine blast near Nagratonagra village. The security personnel were returning after conducting the fifth phase of polling. The landmine was triggered when security personnel were passing over a bridge,” a police spokesperson told IANS.

In another incident, two policemen were injured in a gun battle with Maoists in Giridih district. The gun battle took place in Chirkinala village, around 170 km from here.

The Maoists attacked the security personnel when they were returning along with polling officials.

In the third incident, Maoists set on fire three vehicles and disrupted ballotting at a polling booth in Garwah district.

“Maoist guerrillas set on fire three vehicles at Matgari in Garwah district. At one polling booth, they tried to disrupt the polling,” Jharkhand police spokesperson R.K. Mallik told IANS.