Indian security forces kill at least 29 Maoists in gun battle

Name: Indian security forces kill at least 29 Maoists in gun battle ahead of election
Uploaded: 2024-04-16T16:00:22.000Z
Duration: 1 min 52 s
Description: Indian security forces kill at least 29 Maoists in gun battle ahead of election

The rebels, ascribing to a form of communism propagated by late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, have waged a guerilla-style struggle against the government

India has deployed tens of thousands of security personnel to battle Maoist rebels across the insurgent-dominated ‘Red Corridor’ in recent years

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Indian security forces kill at least 29 Maoists in gun battle ahead of election

ReutersandAgence France-Presse

Published: 12:00am, 17 Apr 2024Updated: 4:39pm, 17 Apr 2024

Indian security forces killed at least 29 suspected Maoist rebels in a gun battle in the central state of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, police said, days before the start of elections in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term.

The guerillas were killed in a remote part of the state, which has seen a number of deadly assaults on Maoist forces this year.

Security has been stepped up in Chhattisgarh ahead of a marathon six-week general election beginning on Friday. All 29 died in Kanker district, south of the state capital Raipur.

The insurgents, who are known as Naxalites and ascribe to a form of communism propagated by late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, say they are fighting for the rural poor. They have waged a guerilla-style struggle against the government since 1967, especially in central and eastern India, leading to periodic clashes and casualties on both sides.

Police officials said they received a tip-off about the presence of Maoists in the area on Tuesday and launched a raid that led to the gun battle, which also injured three members of the security forces.

“After the encounter, during the search of the area, bodies of 29 Maoists were recovered,” police said in a statement, adding that several weapons and ammunition were also seized from the location.

District police chief I.K. Elesela earlier told local media that Shankar Rao, a top rebel commander who was the subject of a US$300,000 reward for information leading to his capture, was among those killed.