Ranchi, July 7 (IANS) Seven trains were cancelled and routes of five diverted in Jharkhand Wednesday as Maoists began their two-day strike in seven states to protest the killing of their top leader in Andhra Pradesh.

"Seven trains have been cancelled and the routes of five trains have been diverted in view of the Maoist strike," a railway official told IANS.

The cancelled trains include Palamau Express, Barwadih-Dehri Asansol Express, Tata-Kharagpur Express and Chakradharpur-Gomo Express.

The trains whose routes have been diverted include Howrah-Jabalpur Shaktipunj Express, Howrah Varanasi Intercity Express and Tata-Jammu Tawi Express.

"Adequate security arrangements have been made. Alert has been sounded in Maoist affected areas," Jharkhand police spokesperson V.H. Deshmukh told IANS.

This is the third Maoist strike in last one month.

Maoists called the strike Wednesday and Thursday to protest the killing of their top leader Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad in an alleged shootout July 2 in Andhra Pradesh. The rebels claim that police killed Azad in a staged gunfight after arresting him in Nagpur in Maharashtra.