Raipur:
Twelve policemen and a civilian were killed and seven others injured in a landmine blast triggered by Naxals at Risgaon village in Dhamtari district on Sunday.
"The incident took place when Naxals blew up a police vehicle carrying the jawans," Bastar IG A N Upadhyaya said.
The police party was on their way to Kanker district in Bastar region for a combing operation when they were attacked by the rebels, he said, adding that the injured security personnel were rushed to Raipur hospital by helicopter.
A police team has been sent to the spot. However, dense forests and tough terrain has blocked communication from the jawans at the blast site hindering the rescue operations, Raipur IG D M Awasthi said.
During the last one month more than 36 people were killed in Naxal attacks in Chhattisgarh.
In the first week of this month, 11 people including two CRPF jawans and five police officials were killed in a landmine blast triggered by the extremists in Dantewada district.
In another Maoists attack on Saturday, four people including two police officials were killed in Bijapur district.