Bhubaneswar: Ten security personnel, including five Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans, were killed on July 30 and eight injured when two of their vehicles were blown up by a landmine set off by suspected naxalites in Malkangiri district of Orissa, police said.

The ultras triggered a remote-controlled landmine killing eight security personnel on the spot when their vehicles, during a routine patrol, reached a culvert, Inspector General of Police (Operations), M M Praharaj said.Two injured policemen died en route to hospital.

The victims included five policemen among whom were officer-in-charge and an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of the Kalimela police station, the sources said.

The eight injured in the ambush were being treated at the government hospital at Malkangiri, 50 km away from the site of the blast.

There were five policemen in one of the jeeps including the officer-in-charge Sada Hantal and ASI Silamani Mallick, which was closely followed by a van carrying 25 CRPF jawans.

The explosion ripped apart the jeep killing all five occupants and was powerful enough to kill five CRPF jawans and injuring another eight in the van behind, Praharaj said.

The jeep and the van were moving from Kalimela to Motu when the explosion occurred at about 14.45 hours (IST).

The Peoples' War (PW) activists are known to generally target the policemen during this part of the year as they commemorate their 'Martyrs' Week’ which began on July 29.

The superintendent of police, Malkangiri, S Debdutt Singh was at the spot with reinforcements.

PTI