India, May 8 -- Three Greyhound commandos, part of Telangana police's anti-Maoist unit, were killed and three others injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in Venkatapuram village in Mulugu district, close to the Chhattisgarh border, on Thursday morning, police said.

The police suspect that the IED was planted by Maoists because they had allegedly left messages on pamphlets in Venkatapuram and neighbouring villages that landmines had been planted in the area to prevent security forces from carrying out combing operations.

"As Greyhound forces were checking for landmines in the forests and working to neutralise the explosives, the Maoists blew up one of the IEDs planted there, resulting in the killing of there person...