Saturday, March 25 2006 10:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Raipur: Six persons were killed and four others injured today (Mar 25, 2006) in Kanker district in Chhattisgarh in a landmine blast triggered off by Naxalites while five Maoists have been killed in Bastar district in an encounter, police said.

"Mistaking a private jeep taxi to be a police vehicle, the naxalites triggered a landmine blast near Ghodagaon village under Pakhanjur police station area, about 250 km from the state capital," Kanker District Superintendent of Police Pradeep Gupta told sources over phone.

Six persons were killed and four others injured, the SP said, quoting primary reports. He added that a police party had already left for the spot and further details were awaited.

Meanwhile, Bastar SP Gurjinder Pal Singh said a police party had killed five naxalites, including a 'deputy commander' in Dhanora jungle area, about 400 km from the state capital in a fierce encounter.

"All the naxalites were killed in an encounter yesterday and the dead body of the 'deputy commander' has been recovered while the Maoists have taken the rest of the bodies with them, Singh said. Search operations are continuing in the area," he added.