Indian police die in Maoist attack

At least 21 Indian police commandos have been killed in a Maoist attack in the  impoverished east of the country, officials said.
  
The attack in the state of Orissa on Wednesday came as top officials met in New Delhi to try and devise a strategy to stamp out the worsening violence in a large swathe of the country left out of India's economic  boom.

Federal home ministry and state officials said a special counter-insurgency unit was hit by a landmine blast while patrolling Malkangiri district, a known Maoist stronghold in the far south of Orissa.

"So far we can confirm 21 policemen belonging to special operations group were killed in the landmine blast," Gopal Nanda, Orissa's police chief, said.

"The policemen were travelling to locate landmines, as the rebels had organised roadblocks on a strategic road," he said, adding that fighting was continuing into the night.

The attack came as top officials met in New Delhi to try and devise a strategy to stamp out the worsening left-wing guerilla revolt in a large swathe of the country left out of India's economic boom.

Federal home ministry and state officials said a special counter-insurgency unit was hit by a landmine blast while patrolling Malkangiri district, a known Maoist stronghold in the far south of Orissa state.

"So far we can confirm 21 policemen belonging to special operations group were killed in the landmine blast," Orissa's police chief, Gopaal Nand, told AFP in state capital Bhubaneswar.