Land Mine Kills 23 Policemen in Central India

CALCUTTA — Suspected Maoist rebels set off a land mine under an Indian security vehicle, killing at least 23 policemen and a civilian in the central state of Chattisgarh, officials said Sunday.

Three policemen were wounded in the blast, one critically.

The explosion occurred late Saturday near the remote and impoverished Dantewada district, 170 miles south of the state capital, Raipur.

“The explosion was so powerful that it blew the vehicle about 30 feet in the air,” said Chattisgarh Home Minister Ramvichar Netam. “The vehicle was torn apart, and it came crashing down with its occupants.”

Police Inspector-General M.W. Ansari said the land mine had been planted close to a culvert along a forested stretch in the remote district known to be a Maoist stronghold.

Thousands have died in three decades of Maoist insurgency across eight Indian states. Last month, Maoists killed 10 people, including a lawmaker and a government official, in an ambush in Andhra Pradesh state. Andhra Pradesh borders Chattisgarh.

The rebels say they are fighting for the rights of peasants and landless laborers.

In August, India’s Home Ministry said there were about 9,300 armed Maoist rebels in the country, adding that social and economic disparities were a key factor behind support for the guerrillas.