9 die as Indian troops storm Maoist base
At least eight Maoists and a soldier were killed yesterday when Indian troops launched a major offensive against a rebel stronghold in the central state of Chhattisgarh, an official said.
State police chief RK Vij put the toll at nine but others said that more casualties were likely after an intense firefight in the jungles of Singamadagu district, 500 kilometres (300 miles) south of capital Raipur.
NDTV television reported that 30 Maoists had been killed and 10 soldiers were missing.
Maoists hold sway across wide swathes of Chhattisgarh, the worst hit by a leftwing insurgency which has spread to 20 of India's 29 states, according to Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram.
Police chief Vij said a deputy security commander died when the Maoists retaliated when soldiers raided a rebel arms factory in Singamadagu, where the guerrillas have virtually established a parallel administration.
India suspects that the guerillas, whose leadership is based in Chhattisgarh forests, are refining their tactics and acquiring advanced military hardware, Chidambaram added.
In June, Chidambaram slapped a formal ban on the Maoist rebels, whose strength is variously estimated at between 10,000 and 20,000, officially designating them as terrorists.
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