Palamau (Jharkhand) Dec 19 : A policeman was killed and two others were injured when Maoist rebels ambushed a police patrol in Palamau district of Jharkhand during the fifth and final phase of the Assembly elections on Friday.

Akhilesh Kumar, president of Jharkhand Policemen’s Association, said the rebels ambushed a police cluster when security personnel were having dinner after the election duty.

Thereafter an encounter took place between the security personnel and Maoists in which a soldier lost his life and two others were injured.

The injured were later on airlifted to Apollo Hospital in the State capital Ranchi.

"The security personnel had come after the election duty and were eating their food in a Navabazar school, when suddenly the Maoists attacked them. In a hurry to take out their arms and ammunition, one soldier died and after that there was a firing for nearly five hours and the Maoists fled the scene. Two soldiers were injured in the firing. The two have been taken to Apollo Hospital in Ranchi. The condition of one soldier was critical," said Kumar.

He also said that the injured soldier must be rewarded immediately so as to encourage the forces to fight the guerrillas.

"If they would not have fought the Maoists bravely then a big incident would have taken place. That''s why I appealed to the DGP, Home Secretary and especially the state governor and Election Commission to award the soldier immediately for their heroic effort, so that more people are encouraged," Kumar added. (ANI)