<p>In an audacious daylight attack, suspected Maoists attacked a passenger train in Bihar's Jamui district Thursday afternoon, killing a railway police personnel and two passengers, said police and the railway ministry. <br /><br /></p>.<p>"Three people including a constable of RPF (Railway Protection Force) and two passengers were killed in a Maoist attack on the Patna-bound inter-city train in Jamui," said Jamalpur Superintendent of Police (Rail) Amitabh Das.<br /><br />A railway ministry statement confirmed the deaths. Half a dozen people were injured in the attack, said Das, adding that the attackers fled with the weapons of two RPF personnel.<br /><br />According to district police officials in Jamui, about 180 km from Patna, nearly 100 armed Maoists attacked the train between Bhului and Kunder railway halt. Jamui is considered a Maoist stronghold.<br /><br />"Maoists stopped the train by forcibly applying the vacuum brake and opened indiscriminate fire in which two railway police personnel and some passengers were injured. Three of them, including a RPF personnel, succumbed to their injuries," said an official.<br /><br />Additional Director General of Police S.K. Bhardwaj said in Patna that the Maoists also looted some ammunition and two rifles from the RPF personnel.<br /><br />"The main motive of the Maoists' attack was to loot arms of the RPF escort party and they succeeded in their attempt," he said.<br /><br />Bhardwaj expressed surprise over the Maoist attack on the train in broad daylight. "Maoists usually attack trains in the night but this time they attacked in the day," he said.<br /><br />Bihar police chief Abhyanand has directed the rail police and district police of Jamui and neighbouring districts to launch combing operations against the Maoists.<br /><br />Railway ministry sources in New Delhi said the suspected Maoists, in a bid to snatch the weapons of the RPF personnel on the 1331 Dhanbad-Patna inter-city train service, opened fire at them.<br /><br />They said the security personnel returned the fire and a guard and a RPF constable were injured in the cross-firing.<br /><br />The train, which was detained for around one hour and 15 minutes, had since moved towards its destination and rail traffic was normal on the route, said the sources.<br /><br />Railway Minister C.P. Joshi said preliminary information indicated that it could be a Maoist attack, while Minister of State for Home R.P.N. Singh termed the attack as "unfortunate and dastardly".<br /><br />Joshi announced an enhanced ex-gratia amount of Rs.5 lakh to the next of kin of those killed, Rs.1 lakh to a passenger who was grievously injured and Rs.25,000 each to four people (three passengers and train guard) who received minor injuries, said a statement.<br /><br />He said contingents of paramilitary forces, including the Central Reserve Police and the Border Security Force, had been rushed to the spot.</p>
<p>In an audacious daylight attack, suspected Maoists attacked a passenger train in Bihar's Jamui district Thursday afternoon, killing a railway police personnel and two passengers, said police and the railway ministry. <br /><br /></p>.<p>"Three people including a constable of RPF (Railway Protection Force) and two passengers were killed in a Maoist attack on the Patna-bound inter-city train in Jamui," said Jamalpur Superintendent of Police (Rail) Amitabh Das.<br /><br />A railway ministry statement confirmed the deaths. Half a dozen people were injured in the attack, said Das, adding that the attackers fled with the weapons of two RPF personnel.<br /><br />According to district police officials in Jamui, about 180 km from Patna, nearly 100 armed Maoists attacked the train between Bhului and Kunder railway halt. Jamui is considered a Maoist stronghold.<br /><br />"Maoists stopped the train by forcibly applying the vacuum brake and opened indiscriminate fire in which two railway police personnel and some passengers were injured. Three of them, including a RPF personnel, succumbed to their injuries," said an official.<br /><br />Additional Director General of Police S.K. Bhardwaj said in Patna that the Maoists also looted some ammunition and two rifles from the RPF personnel.<br /><br />"The main motive of the Maoists' attack was to loot arms of the RPF escort party and they succeeded in their attempt," he said.<br /><br />Bhardwaj expressed surprise over the Maoist attack on the train in broad daylight. "Maoists usually attack trains in the night but this time they attacked in the day," he said.<br /><br />Bihar police chief Abhyanand has directed the rail police and district police of Jamui and neighbouring districts to launch combing operations against the Maoists.<br /><br />Railway ministry sources in New Delhi said the suspected Maoists, in a bid to snatch the weapons of the RPF personnel on the 1331 Dhanbad-Patna inter-city train service, opened fire at them.<br /><br />They said the security personnel returned the fire and a guard and a RPF constable were injured in the cross-firing.<br /><br />The train, which was detained for around one hour and 15 minutes, had since moved towards its destination and rail traffic was normal on the route, said the sources.<br /><br />Railway Minister C.P. Joshi said preliminary information indicated that it could be a Maoist attack, while Minister of State for Home R.P.N. Singh termed the attack as "unfortunate and dastardly".<br /><br />Joshi announced an enhanced ex-gratia amount of Rs.5 lakh to the next of kin of those killed, Rs.1 lakh to a passenger who was grievously injured and Rs.25,000 each to four people (three passengers and train guard) who received minor injuries, said a statement.<br /><br />He said contingents of paramilitary forces, including the Central Reserve Police and the Border Security Force, had been rushed to the spot.</p>