Gunfight kills 10 Maoists in India

At least 10 suspected Maoist rebels and a police officer were killed yesterday in a firefight deep in the jungles of central India.

Police said hundreds of commandos launched a pre-dawn assault on a suspected rebel hideout in Chhattisgarh state, triggering a gunfight that lasted several hours.

Maoist rebels have for decades been fighting the Indian state, demanding land, jobs and other rights for poor tribal groups.

The officer in charge of the latest operation said a large number of Maoist suspects -- also known as Naxals -- had escaped.

Arms and ammunition were recovered from the site and police are scouring the area for the remaining suspects, he said.