Maoists kill six CISF troopers, driver in Chhattisgarh

Raipur, May 13 (IANS) The Maoists Sunday night carried out a deadly attack on a patrol party of paramilitary Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district in which six jawans and a civilian driver were killed, police said.

"Dozens of armed Maoists ambushed a vehicle carrying a patrol team of the CISF jawans and sprayed bullets all around. Six troopers were killed besides a civilian driver," Dantewada Superintendent of Police Narendra Khare told IANS.

Additional Director General of Police (Maoist operation) Ramniwas said that the guerrillas ambushed the troopers around 9.30 p.m.

The incident took place at a mining check-post at Kirandul town, 420 km from state capital Raipur.

Reports said that after the incident the Maoists took away the six CISF troopers' assault rifles.

Jawans of the district force were rushed to the site, police said.

Kirandul is situated in Bailadila hills where public sector National Mineral Development Corporation Ltd. (NMDC) mines two-third of its roughly 25 million tonnes annual iron ore output.

The killings created a scare in the hilly area and dozens of NMDC miners were stuck at their work place for hours, said Ramniwas.