Fourteen police officers have been killed after their vehicle hit a land mine in eastern India.
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Police were carrying out searches in the area, Bhatia said.
The Maoist Naxalite rebels, who are inspired by Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong, have been fighting for more than two decades in several Indian states, demanding land and jobs for agricultural labourers and the poor.
The attack follows an incident in neighbouring Chhattisgarh state on Saturday, where four Maoists were killed and several injured in a gun battle with police.
More than 6,000 people - mostly police, government soldiers, landlords and civilians suspected to be spies - have been killed in violence.
The Naxalites are active in six of India's 28 states - Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Karnataka, Orissa and Chattisgarh.