Patna: The Naxals have released the train, which was hijacked by them, with over 700 passengers in the Latehar district of Jharkhand to enforce the Bihar-Jharkhand bandh called by them on Wednesday.
The train was on its way from Barkakana to Mughalsarai at around 7.30 am when it was taken over by at least 200 Naxals. The passengers and crew are said to be safe. Security forces have been rushed to the area.
In another attack in Jharkhand, Naxals blew up Utari railway station in Palamu district minutes before Ranchi-New Delhi Rajdhani Express was to scheduled to pass.
This comes a day before the country goes to poll in the second phase.
Meanwhile, there have been three other attacks in Bihar's Gaya, Aurangabad and Motihari. Naxals set on fire three oil tankers and five trucks on main GT road in Gaya district in Bihar. One truck driver was shot at who is critical and hospitalised.
Police are raiding several places in Gaya. The attack took place at around 2 o'clock on Tuesday morning. Polling however, took place in Gaya on April 16.
Naxals have taken over a polling station in the Aadapur block of Motihari district. They wired it with two bombs.
Naxals also blow up community centre in Deo block of Aurangabad district. No causalities have been reported.
Earlier, a day before the first phase of polling, nearly 100 Naxals had attacked the BSF camp in Sasaram district of Bihar.
The company was posted in Dhansa forest area for first phase of polling in the area. Sasaram falls in the Naxal dominated area of Bihar.
Naxals are said to have attacked the BSF company of about 100 jawans with rocket launchers and other ammunition.
In another Naxal attack on the same day, in the neighbouring state of Jharkhand, Maoists blew up a bus carrying CRPF personnel at Latehar. At least five Naxalites and two CRPF personnel were killed in the attack.
On April 12 night, the Maoists attacked Asia's largest bauxite mine in Orissa's Koraput district. At least 11 CISF jawans and 4 Maoists were killed in the encounter between the two sides. The attackers had escaped with a huge amount of explosives that were kept in the armoury there.
On the day of first phase of Lok Sabha polls, several polling booths in Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh were attacked by the Naxalites.