Three people were killed and two injured in a Maoist attack in a Bihar village, police officials said on Thursday morning.

The armed Maoists attacked Maniyarpur village in East Champaran district near the Nepal border late on Wednesday night, police sources said.

According to police sources, frightened villagers told that dozens of armed Maoist attacked the village and killed three persons. "Maoist also set ablaze vehicles and looted some houses minutes before they fled," a senior police official said.

Police have launched an operation to arrest the Maoists.

Police sources said that two years ago a rich farmer Maheshwar Singh was killed by Maoists in the region.