Three police personnel were killed in a landmine blast triggered by the outlawed People's War Naxalites in Nalgonda district in Andhra Pradesh on Monday morning.

State police spokesman Shujath Ali told rediff.com that the incident occurred at Nimmalipuri  village near Mellacheruvu mandal town at around 1130 IST.

A 10-member special police party was conducting combing operations in the area, when some Naxalites, who were hiding in the bushes, triggered the landmine.

Reserve Sub-Inspector Gangaram and police constables Shankar Naik and Chinna Kesavulu died on the spot while the others escaped unhurt.

The police launched combing operations in the area following the incident at Nimmalapuri village situated on the banks of the Krishna river.

The police had been conducting combing operations in the areas around the village following an attack on Sunday.

A group of 25 armed Naxalites had attacked the village in broad daylight and hurled bombs at a grocery shop and manhandled two persons allegedly for helping the police.

The Naxalites beat up Ramakrishna, a trader and Hussein Reddy, a farmer, in the presence of other villagers, accusing them of passing information about their movement to the police parties.