7 CRPF jawans killed in Maoist blast

Seven troopers of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force were killed on Tuesday night when a commander's escort vehicle was blown up in a landmine blast by Maoists in Chhattisgarh. The landmine attack, the latest salvo in a four-decade long insurgency that has killed thousands, came late on Tuesday hours after the rebels called for a two-day general strike from May 21 to demand the release of three of their leaders. Last April, the government faced strong criticism that security forces were ill-prepared to deal with the insurgent threat after 75 police were killed in an ambush in Chhattisgarh that led to the home minister tendering his resignation.