PATNA, India: At least 31 suspected Maoist rebels were killed in a battle with Indian troops in central India, police said Saturday.
\nThe fighting erupted on Friday when counterinsurgency troops, acting on intelligence, cornered nearly 50 suspected rebels in the Abhujmaad forest area along the border of Narayanpur and Dantewada districts in Chhattisgarh state, said state police Inspector General Pattilingam Sundarraj.
\nSundarraj said the operation was launched on Thursday, and the battle began the next day, lasting about nine hours. He said search operations were continuing in the area and that the troops had recovered some arms and ammunition, including automatic rifles. There were no reports of casualties among the troops.
\nThere was no immediate statement from the rebels.
\nIndian soldiers have been battling the Maoist rebels across several central and northern states since 1967, when the militants, also known as Naxalites, began fighting to demand more jobs, land and wealth from natural resources for the country\u2019s poor indigenous communities. The insurgents are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.
\nYears of neglect have isolated many local villagers, who face a lack of jobs, schools and health care clinics, making them open to overtures by the rebels. The rebels speak the same tribal languages as many local villagers and have promised to fight for a better future especially in Chhattisgarh, one of India\u2019s poorest states despite its vast mineral riches.
\nAuthorities say at least 171 militants have been killed so far this year in Chhattisgarh.
\nFriday\u2019s fighting was the deadliest clash this year.
\nIn April, government forces killed at least 29 suspected Maoist rebels in in Chhattisgarh, three days ahead of the start of India\u2019s national election.
\nThe rebels have ambushed police, destroyed government offices and abducted officials. They\u2019ve also blown up train tracks, attacked prisons to free their comrades and stolen weapons from police and paramilitary warehouses to arm themselves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PATNA, India: At least 31 suspected Maoist rebels were killed in a battle with Indian troops in central India, police said Saturday. The fighting erupted on Friday when counterinsurgency troops, acting on intelligence, cornered nearly 50 suspected rebels in the Abhujmaad forest area along the border of Narayanpur and Dantewada districts in Chhattisgarh state, said […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":435479,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-435478","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n