Sunday, June 13, 2010

Maoists 'killed' in India operation

Maoist rebels in Chhattisgarh
The rebels say they are fighting for the rights of rural poor

Indian police in the north-eastern state of Jharkhand say they have killed 10 Maoist rebels in a major operation.

Eight rebel camps were destroyed during the ongoing offensive in the Borahat jungles of West Singbhum district, officials said.

Six policemen injured in the operation were airlifted to hospital, police said.

Authorities have been under pressure following a wave of Maoist-led violence in recent months.

Last month, more than 145 people were killed when a train crashed in neighbouring West Bengal state after Maoist rebels allegedly sabotaged the rail track.

Increasing attacks

India's state-run broadcaster All India Radio reported that some 2,000 policemen participated against the rebels in the ongoing operation.

Reports say the police had found a number of mines in the rebel camps.

Thousands have died in the rebels' decades-long fight against the state.

Maoist rebels have in recent months stepped up attacks in response to a government push to flush them out of their jungle bases.

Indian forces launched the offensive in what is known as the "red corridor" - a broad swathe of territory in rural eastern and central India where the Maoist rebellion has been gathering strength.

Nearly 50,000 federal paramilitary troops and tens of thousands of policemen are taking part in the operation in several states, including Jharkhand.

In April, 76 paramilitary troops were killed in an ambush - the single biggest attack on the Indian security forces by the rebels.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Maoist insurgency as India's biggest internal security challenge.

Source http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8738171.stm

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