Indian forces kill 10 Maoist rebels in raid on training camp

The government has called the rebels India’s biggest internal security threat. (File/AFP)

• The Maoist rebels have been fighting the Indian government for more than four decades
• With thousands of fighters, the rebels control vast swathes of territory

NEW DELHI: Police say they have killed at least 10 Maoist rebels during an attack on their training camp in a forested area in central India.
Police officer Mohit Garg says an exchange of gunfire with the insurgents on Thursday lasted nearly 2 ½ hours in Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh state, a rebel stronghold.
Police found 12 rifles from those killed. Garg says security forces did not suffer any casualties.
The Maoist rebels, inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, have been fighting the Indian government for more than four decades, demanding land and jobs for tenant farmers, the poor and indigenous communities.
The government has called the rebels India's biggest internal security threat. With thousands of fighters, the rebels control vast swathes of territory.