NEW DELHI, May 21 (KUNA) -- India stated Wednesday its security forces have gunned down 27 Maoist rebels in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. The Press Trust of India said quoting security officials that the encounter began on Wednesday, two days after a coordinated anti-Maoist operation was launched in the dense forests of Abhujmad in the middle of Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada districts.
The operation was launched in wake of intelligence inputs about the presence of top Maoists in the area.
Security forces recovered 27 bodies and a significant cache of arms from the site. One official from the District Reserve Guard of the Chhattisgarh Police was also killed and a few others were injured.
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.ibi