The deceased belonged to the Orissa Special Strike Force (OSSF), mostly consisting of ex-servicemen appointed exclusively for anti-Naxal operations.
Sources said the incident occurred at Palur near Narayanpatna in the Naxal-infested southern district when the police party was on its way to clear a road blocked by the Left wing ultras with uprooted trees.
As soon as the vehicle carrying the policemen reached Palur, the Naxals blasted the landmine kept under a culvert using a remote-control device.
One company of the CRPF and four units of the Special Operation Group (SOG) reached the spot immediately to launch a combing operation to nab the culprits.
Ironically, the Naxals triggered the blast the day the Orissa assembly was discussing an adjournment motion on Naxal violence in the state. The Opposition Congress and the BJP members demanded a statement from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the incident.
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