Seven policemen were killed and two injured when Maoists blew up a police vehicle in the Chamorshi division of Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra on Sunday.

The incident comes two days after the arrest of G.N. Saibaba, a Delhi University Professor, by the Gadchiroli police over his alleged Maoist links.

Inspector Dharmendra Joshi, public relations officer of the Gadchiroli police, said a landmine was used to blow up the vehicle carrying the men of the C-60 force (Maharashtra’s special anti-Naxal unit) at 9.40 a.m.

A local police officer expressed shock over the Maoists targeting police in a “plain area” such as Chamorshi, considered relatively peaceful.

Police sources said the C-60 commandos launched a combing operation at Kotmi on Friday. The men returned to Yedanur after two days of patrolling on foot, and called for vehicles to reach the Gadchiroli headquarters since Yedanur is considered a “less-affected” zone. They boarded eight vehicles. The third one in the convoy was blown up near Murmuri village, police sources said.

The dead are Dipak Vighave, Sunil Madavi, Rohan Dambare, Subhash Kumare, Tirupati Allam, Laxman Munde and Duryodhan Naktode of the Gadchiroli police, the Superintendent of Police said in a statement.