Monday, 28 January, 2002, 09:48 GMT Landmine explosion in Indian state The authorities in the northern Indian state of Jharkhand say that at least 12 people, including 10 policemen, have been killed in a landmine explosion. Police said the incident happened on Sunday night in the district of Gumla more than 50 kilometres from the state capital Ranchi. The police accused the outlawed People's War Group (PWG) of planting the landmine. The PWG is waging an armed struggle for the establishment of a communist state in the tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh, Mahrashtra, Orissa, Bihar and Chattisgarh. More than 6,000 people have died in the associated violence over the past two decades. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1786000/1786320.stm Monday, 28 January, 2002, 11:07 GMT Nepal landmine blast kills three Three Nepali police officers have been killed in a landmine explosion in the western district of Kailali. The authorities said that the officers were on patrol when the vehicle they were travelling in hit the landmine. Maoist rebels have been blamed for the incident, although no group has admitted planting the mine. The authorities said that security operation has been intensified in the area. More than 2,500 people have been died in political violence in Nepal, since rebels launched an armed struggle six years ago to replace the constitutional monarchy with a communist republic. http://nepal.asiaco.com/news/news/external.cgi?http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1786000/1786355.stm
Officer killed In another incident, four security personnel including a senior police officer, Ram Binay Singh, died when their vehicle was destroyed in a landmine explosion. They were killed in Kailali in south-west Nepal. Superintendent of police, Ram Binay Singh, is the second-highest ranking police officer to be killed since the rebels started an armed campaign six years ago. http://nepal.asiaco.com/news/news/external.cgi?http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1786000/1786355.stm
