Police kill eight rebels in forest gun battle

At least eight Maoist militants were killed by police in India on Friday in the second major offensive against the left-wing insurgents during the week.
Police said they ambushed the rebels in a forested area in the Bijapur district in central India, along the borders of Chhattisgarh and Telangana states.
“There was a heavy exchange of fire after the police intercepted them. Eight bodies of the rebels were found after the clash,’’ district police chief, Mohit Garg, told dpa by phone.
The police reported no casualties and automatic weapons and grenades were recovered from the scene.
Garg said: “It is a successful counterinsurgency operation which will definitely break their (the Maoists’) back; the region was a rebel stronghold where attacks targeting police and officials often occurred.’’
Since Sunday, at least 37 Maoists have been killed in gun battles between security forces and the rebels in Gadchiroli in western Maharashtra state.
The Maoist guerrillas, who reject parliamentary democracy, say their armed rebellion is to secure rights of the poor and marginalised.
They operate in forest belts in several states across India.
According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, more than 7,780 people, including civilians, militants and security personnel, have been killed in Maoist-related violence in India since 2005.