Ahead of the second phase of polling in Jharkhand, heavily-armed Naxals have taken a passenger train hostage in the Latehar district.
Initial reports said about 700 people were on board the train -- on its way to Mugalsarai from Barakana -- when around 200 odd Maoists attacked the train at Hillgarh station in Latehar district early Wednesday morning.
Media reports quoting police personnel said Naxalites had initially planned to target the New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express, which was to pass through the station 30 minutes after the blast.
More details are awaited.
TimeOfIndia
Naxals struck once again ahead of the second phase of Lok Sabha polls by taking a passenger train with 700-800 people on board,
hostage on Wednesday. ( Watch )
The train was going from Barkakana in Jharkhand to Mugalsarai in UP when it was hijacked at around 7-7.30am near Hehegarha railway station in Jharkhand's Latehar district
Unconfirmed reports claim there are around 200 Naxals who boarded the Gomo-Mogulsarai BDM passenger train.
Jharkhand police in the area claim all the passengers are safe, so far. 3-4 helicopters and Railway Protection Force has been pressed into action to control the situation. Additional forces have been rushed to the spot.
There has been a spurt in attacks after Naxalites called for a bandh to boycott polls in Jharkhand and Bihar.
Earlier on Wednesday, suspected Naxalites killed a truck driver and set ablaze nine trucks in Bihar's Gaya district and bombed a block office in Aurangabad district, police said.
Over 100 armed Maoists attacked trucks on the busy Grand Trunk Road near Barachatti in Gaya, about 100 km from here, at around 12.30am. They forcibly stopped the trucks at gun point and torched nine of the vehicles.
A truck driver, Lakshman Yadav, was shot dead while trying to escape with his truck.
A group of armed Maoists also bombed the Dev block development office in Aurangabad district, which is about 50 km from Gaya.
"They used explosives. The building was badly damaged," said Gaya Superintendent of Police M.R. Naik.
"We have received information about violence by Maoists in Gaya and Aurangabad districts. Security reinforcements have been sent there," said Bihar police chief D N Gautam.
Thirteen of the state's 40 seats will go to the polls on Thursday. The other two rounds will be held April 30 and May 7. The first phase was held for 13 seats on April 16 .
