Friday, February 11 2005 10:22 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: In a major naxalite attack, six Karnataka State Reserve Police personnel were killed and four injured, including two seriously, when bombs planted by naxalites exploded in their camp at Venkamamanahalli in Tumkur District late last night (Feb 10, 2005).

The policemen were resting at their camp in a school building in an interior area after carrying out the combing operations in the naxalite-hit Pavagada taluk bordering Andhra Pradesh when the naxalites carried out the operation stealthily, Karnataka DGP S N Borkar said.

"It is definitely the handiwork of naxalites," he said.

Borkar said that the naxalites had planted the bombs and the explosion damaged the building.

The naxalite attack comes just a few days after their top leader Saketh Rajan alias Prem was shot dead by police in an encounter along with another associate in Chikamagalur district last week.

Police suspect that the incident was in retaliation to the Chikamagalur operation.

Borkar said that a hunt had been launched to track down the assailants. Superintendents of Police in the districts bordering Andhra Pradesh have been alerted.

The injured policemen have been hospitalised in Pavagada and Bangalore.