Six security personnel killed in Maoist blast
Raipur, May 20: Six police personnel were killed and another was critically wounded in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Sunday when a landmine planted by Maoists ripped through the vehicle they were travelling in.
P. Sundarraj, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Dantewada Range), told IANS: "Six personnel were killed while one was seriously injured."
Among the dead, five are from the Chhattisgarh Armed Force and one from the district police.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (South Bastar Range) Ratan Lal Dangi said that a road was being built on the Kirandul-Cholnar road.
"A joint team of Chhattisgarh Armed Force and district police personnel was travelling to Kirandul to provide security to the labourers and officials there."
The Maoists had reportedly planted a landmine in the Cholnar jungle area which exploded as the police vehicle drove over it, detonating with a deafening roar.
The blast killed five personnel instantly. A sixth person succumbed to his injuries later. The injured district policeman was referred to Raipur after first aid.
The powerful explosion shattered the jeep into many parts and left a 10-foot crater. The Maoists who were apparently watching from a distance took away the weapons including two AK-47, two Insas and two SLR rifles each.
Five of the dead were identified as Head Constable Ram Kumar Yadav, Assistant Constable Saligaram Vikram Yadav and Constables Teekeshwar Dhruv, Rajesh Singh and Virendra Nath.
Inspector General of Police (Bastar) Vivekanand Sinha told the media: "We have sounded a high alert in the area and launched a search operation for the Naxalites."
The blast took place two days before Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh is set to hold a public meeting in Dantewada. Officials said security would be further increased for the Chief Minister's meeting.
Maoists have been active in the Dantewada region for decades, running a state within a state.
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Bhambri-Goransson's dream run at Indian Wells ends in semifinals
Indian Wells (USA) (PTI): Indian doubles ace Yuki Bhambri and his Swedish partner Andre Goransson's impressive campaign came to an end after losing in the semifinals of the Indian Wells Masters in California.
The unseeded pair went down 5-7, 7-6(7), 5-10 to France's Arthur Rinderknech and Monaco's Valentin Vacherot in a closely-fought contest that was decided by a tie-breaker.
Bhambri and Goransson started strongly but were edged out in the opening set.
The Indo-Swedish duo fought back to force a decider after clinching a tight second-set in the tie-breaker.
However, Rinderknech and Vacherot held their nerve in the deciding tie-breaker to seal the victory.
Despite the defeat, the tournament marked a significant milestone for the 33-year-old Indian as it was his maiden semifinal appearance at an ATP Masters 1000 event.
Earlier in the tournament, Bhambri and Goransson had produced a strong performance to reach the last-four, defeating the Austrian-Italian pair of Alexander Erler and Andrea Vavassori 6-3, 7-6(7).
Their run also ended a two-year wait for an Indian presence in the semifinals of a Masters 1000 tournament since Rohan Bopanna won the title at the Miami Open in 2024.
