KOLKATA: Two police constables died and another was seriously injured when armed Maoist rebels ambushed security personnel near a police camp in West Bengal's Purulia district Monday.
The six Maoists waylaid the policemen, who were going from the Berada camp under the Barabazar police station to a nearby under-construction community centre, and ordered them to hand over their guns, said Purulia district police superintendent Rajesh Yadav.
"The Maoists had earlier warned the police not to help build the community centre," said another senior police officer.
Three of the policemen complied but three others did not, and were shot at.
The ultras, who rode three motorcycles, fled with the guns.
The slain policemen were identified as Chinmoy Mandal and Toton Seth. Injured constable Nikhil Mandal was battling for life at a government hospital.
Senior police officers rushed to the spot and the area was cordoned off.
Maoist insurgency is posing a big problem in Purulia, Bankura and Midnapore West districts of the state.