NEW DELHI: Seven policemen were killed and six others injured in a landmine blast in Maoist-hit Chhaterpur village of Jharkhand’s Palamu district on Wednesday evening, Hindustan Times reported today.

The police team was returning to Hussainabad after conducting long-range patrolling in the Kala Pahar region, considered a Maoist hotbed.

Hussainabad police station officer-in-charge Rajesh Prasad Rajak, who was leading the team, miraculously escaped as the explosion took place seconds after his vehicle crossed the spot.

The blast, suspected to have been triggered by CPI (Maoists), was reported around 5.30pm. The policemen, who were travelling in a mini-truck, were in violation of the standard operational procedure, a source said.

“Seven police personnel including the police driver, chowkidar, one head constable and four constables were killed and six injured when an IED triggered by the Maoists blew up their vehicle,” inspector general (Operation) MS Bhatia said. According to Times of India, this is the biggest attack on Jharkhand police by Maoist since May 2014 when eight polling personnel were killed in a Maoist attack, and first of 2016.