Lalgarh (West Bengal), Aug 2 - A Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader was among two people killed by suspected Maoists in and around this trouble-torn belt of West Midnapore district early Sunday.

Inspector General of Police (Western Range) Kuldip Singh told IANS that 15-20 left wing extremists raided the house of CPI-M leader Nepal Mahato in Amdanga village of the Lalgarh-headquartered Binpur-II community block and slit his throat after dragging him out on the road.

A large posse of security forces comprising central paramilitary troopers and West Bengal state police personnel, deployed for the last six weeks to flush out the rebels from the area, combed Amdanga and adjoining villages and detained Anil Mahato - brother of the agitating tribal body People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) leader Chhatradhar Mahato as also five school students.

Singh said the rebels killed another person in the Belpahari area under Binpur-I block.

Despite the state government launching the massive security operation June 18 to free the area from Maoist guerrillas, killings of CPI-M leaders have been going on unabated.