Maoists blow up TV, power stations in Andhra Pradesh
Afp, Hyderabad
Maoist rebels destroyed TV and power sites near a major port in southeast India yesterday, less than a week after they killed 24 troops in an ambush in a nearby state, police said. The attacks on a television transmission tower and a power station took place in a town near the busy port city of Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh state, a hotbed of left-wing insurgent activity. "They used gelatine sticks (dynamite) to blast the TV centre, the power station and a state guest house," police chief A Sabharwal said from the port, adding that no casualties were reported. The attacks came just a few days after troops fought a bloody battle with Maoist rebels in the jungles of nearby Chhattisgarh state. A total of 24 soldiers and 20 rebels died in the fighting, which ended Tuesday. Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are believed to be the Maoists' strongest power bases. The Maoists, who launched their campaign in 1967 and operate in 14 of India's 29 states, say they are fighting for the rights of landless farmers and have stepped up attacks in remote district centres they control.
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