Bhubaneswar:Â Â About 40 security personnel escaped unhurt in a landmine blast triggered by Maoists in Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Monday.
The blast occurred about 500 metres from the security personnel near Erakonda village when the Border Security Force (BSF) troopers and local policemen were returning to their base after clearing a road which Maoists had blocked with a felled tree a day earlier.
“There was no report of any injury,” district Superintendent of Police Akhileshwar Singh told IANS.
Malkangiri district, around 640 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, is considered a Maoist stronghold. The latest attack comes a day after Maosits set ablaze construction equipment of a contractor in the region.
The rebels also killed a contractor in Malkangiri district Oct 26 by slitting his throat after accusing him of spying on them for police.