Indian security forces gun down six Maoist rebels in Odisha

NEW DELHI, Dec 25 (KUNA) -- Six Maoist rebels, including a wanted leader, were reportedly killed in an encounter with the security forces in Kandhamal district, Odisha state, east India. Ganesh Uike - member of the Central Committee of the banned Communist Party of India (CPI) in-charge of the Maoist group in Odisha, was killed in the encounter near Chakapad police station, All India Radio reported on Thursday, citing local police sources. The operation was launched following intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists in the area. The forces continued search and combing operations in the surrounding forest areas to rule out the presence of Maoist elements.
Maoist rebels are active in various Indian states including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar and Maharashtra. The banned group is waging an armed struggle for decades against the government and its developmental projects in order to establish a communist society toppling the current system which they call as semi-feudal and semi-colonial. (end) atk.gb