Maoists launch five attacks across India

ISLAMABAD: In India the Maoists have launched five attacks across the country in twelve hours on Thursday during the 2-day bandh called by the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) to protest the killing of their spokesperson Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad by the police in Andhra Pradesh.

Maoists attacked a Congress leader’s house on Thursday in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, killing one of his family members and an associate, an Indian television channel reported.

The Naxals also attacked several police stations and railway stations across Chattisgarh in which at least 2 policemen have been killed. Three CRPF camps were also attacked in the area but no casualties have been reported.

While in Orissa, around fifty Maoists attacked the Keonjhar police station and set it on fire. They abducted a policeman and set a beat forest house on fire. In Jharkhand, railway tracks in Latehar and Dhanbad were blown up but no casualties have been reported.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2010.