A clash between law enforcement and Maoist rebels in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh has killed at least 27 Maoist rebels.
The clash took place in the deep forests of Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district on Wednesday.
Chhattisgarh police said Indian commandos killed at least 27 Maoist rebels in the firing.
The Maoist insurgency has killed more than 12,000 people in the country, including Maoist rebels, soldiers and civilians, for decades. The Maoist rebels have been fighting government forces for years for the rights of marginalized tribals in the mineral-rich central Indian state.
Inspired by the work of Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, India’s Maoist rebels began an armed rebellion in 1967. The Maoists, who claim to fight for the rights of the disenfranchised indigenous people, are also known as Naxals.
The Maoist insurgency in India reached its peak in the mid-2000s. At that time, about a third of the country was controlled by 15,000 to 20,000 Maoist fighters.
Sources: Indian Express, Assam Tribune, AFP