29 Maoists killed in India's Chhattisgarh

At least 29 Maoists were today killed in a gun battle with Indian security personnel in a dense forest of Chhattisgarh state's Kanker district, police officials said.

"The bodies of 29 Maoists along with a huge cache of weapons, including AK-47, SLR, Insas and .303 rifles, were recovered from the spot," reports our New Delhi correspondent quoting Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P.

The gunfight took place at around 2:00pm in Hapatola forest under Chhotebethiya police station when a joint team of Border Security Force (BSF) and the state's District Reserve Guard was conducting an operation against the Maoists, a BSF statement said.

Security has been stepped up in Chhattisgarh ahead of a marathon six-week general election beginning on Friday.

"One BSF personnel sustained bullet injury on his leg in the gunfight and he is reported to be out of danger," the statement added.

With today's incident, 79 Maoists have so far been killed in separate encounters with security forces in Bastar region, comprising seven districts, including Kanker this year.

The insurgents, who are known as Naxalites and say they are fighting for the rural poor, have carried out guerilla attacks since 1967.