India People's War News - Jan 17th 2009

Ranchi, Jan 17th 2009 Maoists today blew up a jeep killing five policemen in Jharkhand's Lathehar district.The policemen were returning from a court when their jeep drove over the landmine planted by Maoists between Patki and Maneka and was tossed 30 feet in the air under the impact of the blast.Officer-in-Charge of Maneka police station K C Prasad and four policemen were killed on the spot.The driver of the jeep succumbed to injuries at the hospital, they said, adding another injured policeman was also hospitalised.After the explosion, a group of 150 Maoists looted six sophisticated weapons from the personnel, sources said.When reinforcements arrived on the scene they were fired upon by the Maoists leading to an encounter which stretched for two hours.