Land mine kills 15 policemen in India
(AP)
Updated: 2005-10-09 09:43

A land mine exploded beneath a police vehicle in eastern India on Saturday, killing at least 15 officers, police said.

Rebels were suspected to have planted the mine on a road leading to Baniadih, a village in remote Jharkhand state, police superintendent Sudarshan Mandal said.

He said the policemen were about to raid a village where rebels were believed to be hiding when the explosion happened. There were no immediate claims of responsibility.

Earlier in the week, police and paramilitary soldiers launched an operation against rebels operating in the state, Mandal said.