Maoists kill 4 troops in India
A landmine blast by suspected Maoist rebels in India's Chhattisgarh state has killed four paramilitary troops and injured several others, police said.
Forces from Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), one of India's armed police units, were travelling through conflict-torn Bastar region when their vehicle hit a mine.
The mine had been planted in the middle of a road on the national highway.
Maoist rebels say they are fighting for the rights of indigenous tribal people and the rural poor.
Police told the BBC's Salman Ravi in Raipur that the troops were on their way from the volatile district of Dantewada to Jagdalpur town when their vehicle hit the mine.
"This unit was deployed for anti-Maoist operations in Dantewada," police officer Surjit Singh said.
"The blast was powerful and the vehicle has been badly damaged."
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