Sunday, December 25 2005 16:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Hyderabad: Maoists killed three Railway Protection Force (RPF) constables who were travelling in a passenger train and allegedly took away a cash box the police personnel were carrying after an exchange of fire at Koneru railway station on Andhra-Orissa border today (Dec 25, 2005).

A group of armed Maoists stormed the compartment of Vijayawada-Raigarh passenger train in which RPF personnel were travelling with a cash box containing salary of Raigarh staff, Vizianagaram Police Superintendent Bhavana Saxena told sources.

"When the passenger train reached the station at around 11 a.m. the Maoists made their way into the compartment and in the ensuing exchange of fire three policemen were killed and six others injured, "she said.

Unconfirmed reports reaching here said that the cash box allegedly stolen by the Maoists contained Rs 50 lakh. However, Bhavana said, "They took away some cash", without mentioning the exact amount.

There were also some civilians among the six injured, she said adding that all the injured were hospitalized.

Koneru railway station is in Vizianagaram district, which is close to the Dandakaranya forest area, which runs across Andhra Pradesh and Orissa states, and has been a hot bed of Maoist activities for a long time.

Earlier, Maoists blasted a government guest house using detonators and attacked Sileru police station using rocket launchers last night in the neighboring Visakhapatnam district, police said.

Maoists also killed a former sarpanch K Bhaskar (50) in Warangal district branding him as police informer last night, police said.