Bhubaneswar, April 4: Nine jawans of Orissa’s crack anti-Maoist squad were killed when a landmine allegedly planted by the rebels blew up their vehicle today.

The Special Operations Group (SOG) squad targeted in the blast in Koraput, around 500km southwest of Bhubaneswar, was from the road-clearance wing.

The strike suggested that the jawans had fallen prey to a common rebel ambush ploy: fell trees and put them on ro- ads, then trap the forces when they arrive to clear the obstruction.

The blast occurred around 10am when around 50 jawans of the SOG — which comprises personnel from Orissa police and the CRPF and other paramilitary outfits — were going from Baipariguda in three minibuses to clear trees at a place about 15km away.

The convoy didn’t have an anti-mine vehicle and its first bus was flung several metres into the air under the impact of the blast.

Police sources said it fell 20 metres from the road. The bus had 18 personnel, nine of whom are in hospital.

A Maoist fusillade followed the explosion and the personnel in the two other buses retaliated.

The attack occurred a day after a mine went off in the same district, injuring two SOG personnel. A week ago, an email purportedly sent by the rebels had threatened to blow up chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s residence and attack key towns if his government launched a joint offensive with the Centre.

The personnel killed today were identified as Umakant Nayak, Ashok Behera, Hikima Hembrum, Subrat Samal, Sanjay Pradhan, Jagatram Khudei, B.N. Rout, Hemant Nayak and Partharanjan Behera.

Eight of those injured were said to be in critical condition. They were flown to Visak-hapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, about 150km away.

Orissa police inspector-general (operations) Sanjib Marik said: “The number of jawans killed by the Maoists since April 2009 has gone up to 38.”

Yesterday’s attack was carried out with a Claymore mine — used by the US military among others — kept under a culvert.