RAIPUR, India, Feb 1, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Indian commandos shot dead at least 
eight Maoist rebels in the dense jungles of central India on Saturday, as 
security forces ramp up efforts to crush the long-running conflict.

More than 10,000 people have been killed in the decades-long insurgency waged 
by the rebels, who say they are fighting for the rights of marginalised 
Indigenous people.

The gunfight broke out early on Saturday in the forested areas of Bijapur 
district in the state of Chhattisgarh, considered the heartland of the 
insurgency.

"After a fierce gun battle, bodies of eight Maoists were recovered today from 
the jungles of Bijapur district," top police officer Sundarraj P. told AFP.

Weapons recovered from the rebels included a grenade launcher and rifles, he 
said, adding that a search was still underway.

A crackdown by security forces has killed some 287 rebels in the past year, 
an overwhelming majority in Chhattisgarh, according to government data.

Amit Shah, India's home minister, said last year the government expected to 
crush the rebellion by 2026.

The Maoists demand land, jobs and a share of the region's immense natural 
resources for local residents.

They made inroads in a number of remote communities across India's east and 
south, and the movement gained in strength and numbers until the early 2000s.

New Delhi then deployed tens of thousands of troops in a stretch of territory 
known as the "Red Corridor".

The conflict has also seen a number of deadly attacks on government forces. A 
roadside bomb killed at least nine Indian troops last month.