Author:
Publication: Deccan Herald
Date: November 21, 2004
URL: http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/nov212004/i5.asp
The incident comes a day after an
explosion at a state forest ranger's house in Chandauli in which two guards
were killed.
In a grim warning of the increasing
Naxalite threat in the state, 15 policemen, including jawans of the provincial
Armed Constabulary (PAC), were killed as Naxals blew up a culvert on the
border of Varanasi and Chandauli districts on Saturday morning.
The policemen and PAC jawans were
on combing duty in Naugarh police station area in Chandauli district when
the incident took place. According to UP's Inspector-General of Police
(Law and Order) R K Tiwari, nearly 150 Naxalites had laid an ambush for
a truck carrying the 36th battalion of the PAC, which was scheduled to
pass over the Narkati culvert in Chakia, a rocky sparsely populated area
some 100 km east of Varanasi.
While two jeeps, moving ahead of
the truck, crossed the bridge unharmed, the explosion occurred as soon
as the bus approached the bridge. According to eye witness reports the
bus was tossed up almost 30 feet by the impact of the explosion.
The mishap occurred at around 8.00
am. Thirteen policemen including nine PAC jawans were killed on the spot
while the injured were rushed to the nearby hospital.
Later, two of the seriously injured
succumbed to their injuries in the hospital, while two others are still
fighting for their lives, according to information from the DGP's office.
The Naxalites escaped after the
explosion. The incident comes a day after an explosion at a forest ranger's
house in Chandauli, killing two forest guards and injuring two others on
Friday.
Senior police officials reached
the spot and the area has been cordoned off. A massive combing operation
launched has also been launched. Uttar Pradesh DGP V K B Nair also rushed
to the spot as soon as news of the mishap came in.
Taking a tough stance, Mr Nair
said: "This is the first time the police (in Uttar Pradesh) have been attacked
in such a gruesome manner and we are not going to spare them (the rebels)."
