Maha: 15 policemen among 16 killed as Naxals blow up vehicle

Sixteen persons, including 15 policemen, were killed Wednesday after Naxals blew up their vehicle in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, officials said.

The IED blast, whose impact left a large crater on the road, came hours after Naxals torched 27 vehicles belonging to a road construction company earlier in the day, police said.

The driver of the vehicle was among those killed in the blast which took place as the vehicle reached Lendhari nallah in Kurkheda area, a police official said.

All the policemen killed were members of the Quick Response Team of Gadchiroli police, which was on way to inspect the torched vehicles, the official said.

In Mumbai, Maharashtra Director General of Police Subodh Kumar Jaiswal told reporters that the Naxal attack was not a result of intelligence failure.

Terming it a big loss for the police force, Jaiswal said police were ready to give a befitting reply to the Naxals.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar and state Congress president Ashok Chavan sought ..