A half-dozen land mines exploded Wednesday near a motorcade carrying the leader of India's southern Andhra Pradesh state, injuring him and three other officials. State chief minister Chandrababu Naidu suffered a leg injury and a broken collar bone, said state home minister, T. Devender Goud. Naidu, a key ally of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is seen as a rising star in Indian politics.
| Sounds like he was almost a cinder... |
Naidu was in a motorcade of 23 vehicles traveling in a forest when the blast occurred. He was shielded by the armor of his bulletproof car, which bore the brunt of the explosion. Two lawmakers traveling with Naidu and a member of his state Cabinet were seriously hurt, police said. S.R. Sukumara, inspector general of police, said six mines were triggered by remote control. Goud said there was "no doubt" that the separatist Peoples War Group was responsible. The Maoist guerrillas are fighting for separate socialist regimes in five Indian states. |