Maoists ultras detonated a landmine targeting a BSF vehicle which was escorting panchayat polling personnel at Naxalite-affected Bandwan district on Sunday evening, killing a BSF jawan and injuring 11 others.
The blast occurred 115 km from Purulia on the road between Gangarampur and Sirka flanked on both sides by a deep forest, the Purulia district magistrate, Dipak Ranjan Kar, said.
The place is merely three km from the Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district where Maoists dominate.
Kar said that on hearing the blast the SP, Ashok Kumar Prasad, had rushed to the area with a huge force and till the last reports came in an encounter was going on between the Maoists and the BSF jawans.
The road has been closed to vehicles carrying other polling personnel returning from duty. Maoists had earlier asked villagers to boycott the panchayat poll in West Midnapore and Purulia districts.