Bhubaneswar:
Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced Rs 10 lakh assistance each to the next of kin of the policemen killed in an ambush by Maoists in the state's Malkangiri district.
At least 17 personnel of the Special Operation Group were killed on Wednesday when Maoist guerrillas blasted their vehicle in Malkangiri district.
The incident happened when a police team was surveying the area to clear landmines.
The blast was so powerful that it completely destroyed the anti-landmine van carrying the police personnel.
The Maoists had set up a roadblock and triggered off the blast, when the van stopped.
The blast was followed by an exchange of fire between the Maoists and the policemen who were following the van on motorbikes.
The Maoists fled after the brief encounter.
The 26-member police team, were on their way to an area where Maoists had attacked the house of a local BJP leader.
Malkangiri is the also same area where on June 29, an elite police force Greyhounds, was ambushed by Maoists, killing 38 of them.
Gopal Chandra Nand, DGP, Orissa Police, Cuttack said, ",It's a very unfortunate incident. Our people had gone on operation in an anti-landmine vehicle. While returning, this incident occurred. Very unfortunate incident, we lost the latest reports says 17 lives. Ten persons have survived. But all the 17 who died were in that vehicle. Somehow due to blast the vehicle has been totally demolished in fact thrown to a distance.", (With PTI inputs)