Two cops critically injured in Maoist ambush in Jharkhand

Two police personnel were critically injured in an ambush by activists of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit in Jharkhand's Lohardaga district on Friday, police said.

During a search operation in Shahi Ghat area, Maoists exploded an IED and fired upon a police team, in which two personnel were critically injured, a senior officer said.

The policemen returned fire at the red rebels, following which they escaped into the dense forest, Lohardaga Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Jitendra Kumar Singh told PTI.

The injured police personnel Upendra Singh and Arvind Pandey were airlifted and admitted to a hospital in Ranchi, he said.

Additional police forces and CRPF personnel have been deployed in the area and a search operation is underway, the officer added.