UNI

Lucknow, Jul 23: A day after the Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh police killed dreaded dacoit Dadua, another brigand Thokia gunned down six policemen in a daring ambush late last night.

The STF team while returning from Chitrakoot with the body of slain Thokia gang member killed yerterday, came under heavy fire near Banda. ''The dacoits, perched atop a hill's ridge, opened fire from automatic weapons and hurled grenades at the STF vehicles, killing six of our men instantly...they however, could not take any weapons,'' said Inspector-General (STF) Arvind Kumar Jain.

  
Soon after killing Shiv Kumar Patel alias Dadua, another STF team had killed a member of the Thokia gang near Anusuya Ashram in Chitrakoot.

The ambush took place when the two STF Gypsies had slowed down to navigate a slush on the road in the Kalua jungle. The site of the ambush is on the UP-MP border.

There were a total of 15 STF men in the vehicles. While six were killed, four other received serious injuries. The others escaped with minor wounds. A police informer was also killed.

The killed have been identified as Lakshman Prasad, Uma Shanker, Brijesh Yadav, Ram Karan, Brijesh and driver Rajesh Chauhan. The informer has been identified as Raj Karan, a resident of Naya Gaon, Satna in MP. Sita Ram, the other informer was also injured.

''This is just the beginning...the operations would continue till the menace is over,'' Mr Jain added. Meanwhile, sources said the Madhya Pradesh police had blocked all the entry routes to check the entry of dacoits.

While the injured are being treated at Banda, the bodies of the slain cops would be sent to their native towns after post-mortem.

The four injured policemen have been taken to Lucknow for treatment.

State DGP Vikram Singh has rushed to the site of the ambush.