Shamless Maoists justified killings of 17 policemen

Thursday November 25 2004 00:00 IST

UNI

http://www.newindpress.com/

NEW DELHI: Maoists justified killings of 17 policemen and injuring several others in an ambush in Chandauli near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on November 20 saying that it was a reaction to the ”police offensive”.

”What for had the police launched the combing operation in the area,” CPI (Maoist) leader Vara Vara Rao said adding that ”their clear motive was killing Naxalites.”

The Naxalites had resorted to the action only in ”self-defence”, said Rao at a press conference here on Wednesday.

So far, no Naxalite outfit has claimed the responsibility for the attack.

The Naxalites, numbering about 150, had ambushed a truck carrying an unspecified number of policemen and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) jawans on combing duty. A land mine laid at culvert blew up the vehicle as it passed over it.

Initial reports said that the dead included 13 PAC jawans and four police constables.

NAXAL TERROR WATCH