The banned Ranvir Sena members on Saturday shot dead five persons, including three of a backward caste family, and critically injured two others suspecting them to be sympathisers of their rival People's War Group in Bihar's extremist-hit Arwal district.
Armed with automatic weapons, about 100 members of the private militia of landlords surrounded Bariari village and opened indiscriminate fire on a group of people sitting near a bonfire killing five persons on-the-spot, Superintendent of Police P P Pandey told PTI.
Two persons were critically injured in the attack and shifted to Patna Medical College Hospital.
The Sena members left pamphlets and banners owning responsibility for the killing, he said.
While fleeing, the extremists also attacked a police patrol party but no one was injured.
Central Reserve Police Force, Bihar Military Police and Special Task Force personnel began an intense combing operation to apprehend the killers and sealed all entry and exit points of Arwal.
District Magistrate KN Jha said Ranvir Sena and People's War group are locked in a war of attrition in Arwal, Bhojpur, Jehanabad, Gaya and Aurangabad districts of the state for a long time.