Indian police battle Maoist rebels, five killed

RAIPUR, India: Indian security forces have killed five Maoist rebels in jungle clashes, an officer said on Sunday, as security forces seek to quash the decades-long insurgency in the resource-rich central regions.

Gun battles took place in the Abujhmad forests of Chhattisgarh state on Saturday, taking the toll of the conflict in 2024 to around 200, one of the highest in years.

More than 10,000 people have died in the insurgency against the Maoists -- known as the Naxalite movement, who say they are fighting for the rights of marginalised indigenous people.