Security forces have killed eight Maoists during a prolonged shootout in the jungles near Kumandih in Jharkhand's Latehar district.
The district police disclosed this to the media at Latehar on Friday and mentioned that five rebels were killed when they opened fire on security personnel in the Kumandih region, while the other three died during their armed battle with the police in the forests sorrounding Kumandih village.
"The operation is going on. According to our information, eight Maoists have been killed," said Superintendent of Police of Latehar Michael Raj.
The rebels, also known as Naxals, have fought for decades in areas of Central and Eastern India, including many resource-rich regions where tensions run high between poor farmers and industrial developers.
They are estimated to number around 7000 hardcore fighters in nearly a third of 630 districts and they have spread into rural pockets in 20 of 28 states.
