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Patna, Sep 2 (IANS) The families of four Bihar policemen abducted by Maoists are worried and helpless as the deadline for releasing eight jailed commanders expires 10 a.m Thursday, failing which they have threatened to kill those in captivity.

Maoists abducted the policemen during a six-hour-long gunfight in Lakhisarai district Sunday. The gun battle left seven policemen killed and 10 injured.

Maoists claimed that the gunfight was in retaliation to the staged shootout in which Maoist leader Azad and a journalist were killed.

The guerrillas earlier set the deadline at 4 p.m. Wednesday. But Maoist spokesperson Avinash later told local Hindi news channels that they had decided to extend the deadline till Thursday morning in view of the appeal made by the family members of the abducted policemen.

The four captive policemen have also appealed to the state government to release the eight jailed Maoist commanders. All four said they were safe and healthy.

All the families have turned to god for their safe release.

"I and my family members are praying to god for my husband's safe release," Rajni Yadav, wife of Abhay Yavav, one of the abducted policemen, told IANS here while trying to control her tears.

She met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and top police officials at his official residence here. "The chief minister assured me that my husband and three other policemen held captive by Maoists would be released safely," Rajni said.

She said her children were shocked and crying. "All in our family and relatives are praying for his safe release. Only god can help us," she said in a choked voice.

Manju Sinha, mother of Sub-Inspector Rupesh Kumar Sinha, another policemen abducted by Maoists, fainted thrice in the last two days after hearing the news that Maoists have threatened to kill her son if the government failed to release their eight cadres.

She fell unconscious Wednesday also when she came to meet Nitish Kumar with a plea to get her son released.

The family members of Ehsan Khan, another policeman held captive by Maoists, stopped the preparations for celebrating Eid, hardly 10 days away, after they got information about the abduction.

"We never expected such bad news in the month of Ramadan but are praying to god for his safe release," Ehsan's father Mohiuddin Khan said.

The fourth abducted policeman is Lukas Gete.

According to an official source in the chief minister's office here, Nitish Kumar is himself supervising the rescue operations of the abducted policemen.

Maoists spokesperson Avinash said he had already communicated their demand to the chief minister's official residence to release eight Maoist commanders lodged in different jails.

"In case the government fails to release them, we will be compelled to kill the four policemen," he said.

However, Bihar Director General of Police Neelmani said security forces would rescue the policemen soon.

He said the state government had not received any ultimatum officially from the Maoists in this connection. "Only the media has reported the Maoists' ultimatum...and it may or may not be true," he said.

Operations have been launched by joint security forces in the hilly terrains in Lakhisarai and its adjoining Jamui and Munger districts, besides elsewhere for rescuing the policemen.

Maoists also claimed responsibility for killing of seven policemen during the gun battle Sunday and abduction of the policemen. Avinash also warned the Bihar government of more violent attacks if the operations against Maoists were not immediately stopped.

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