Nine Maoists killed in India

Indian police in Orissa killed nine Maoists, four of them women, the latest casualties in the fight against insurgents in the eastern state, officials said.


The incident occurred Sunday in Rayagada district in southern Orissa, The Hindu reported. A fierce gun battle erupted between the police and the Maoists in the hilly region during a combing operation and police official Soumendra Priyadarshi said the forces recovered nine bodies, along with weapons and explosives, the report said.


Police said some of the injured Maoists may have been dragged away by their comrades. The operation began after police received information that about 25 Maoists were camping in the region.


The Indian Express quoted police as saying the Sunday battle was the single-biggest success against the Maoists in the state. Those killed included a senior commander identified only as Ravi.


Last week, Orissa police said they killed five insurgents during a firefight. State officials say in the past two months, their police have killed 24 Maoists.


India's leaders have warned violence by the Maoists, who claim to be fighting for the tribal people and the landless, among the gravest internal-security threats.

China and India have been butting heads for a while after China swept through Tibet. Sounds like there have been boarder clashes for some time. Not sure how the remote tribal communities are doing, India sounds like it is holding its ground.