Indian Maoist Landmine Ambush Kills Three People

Three people were killed Tuesday when suspected Maoist rebels triggered a landmine in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, police said.

The blast, which killed two security officials and a third person, came a day after voters defied threats from Maoist rebels to turn out for the first of five state elections in the country.

The polls are seen as a test run for national elections next year.

"With the latest violence, three security personnel and a civilian have been killed in Bastar region" over the past two days, police inspector general Arun Dev Gautam told AFP.

Tuesday's ambush took place in Sukma district as the security men were on patrol, Gautam said.

Another security man was killed by suspected rebels late Monday, he said.

Chhattisgarh, a resource-rich hotbed of left-wing extremism, has been under tight security for the voting in which the national opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party, is seeking a third term in power.

Maoists seeking the overthrow of the government are active in forest strongholds across a swathe of central and eastern India.