Indian police kills 3 Naxals in Chhattisgarh gunfight

India police said on Wednesday they killed three Naxals in a gunfight in the central state of Chhattisgarh.

The gunfight broke out at Dantewada district, about 367 km south of Raipur, the capital city.

"Today in a gunfight between District Reserve Group of police and Naxalites inside forest hills of Metapal village in Dantewada, three Naxals were gunned down," a police officer said.

India's official broadcaster All India Radio said, the trio were reportedly involved in the Jiram valley attack on Congress leaders in Bastar in 2013.

At least 31 people, including local Congress party chief and other senior party leaders were killed and several others wounded when Naxals ambushed their convoy in Jiram valley.

Naxalites are also known as "Maoists." Maosit insurgency has its genesis in the violent left-wing rebellion that began in 1967 at village Naxalbari in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Currently Maoists are active in more than a third of the 600-odd districts across central and eastern India.

India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh once termed the Naxalite movement as India's "greatest internal security challenge."

New Delhi has deployed several companies of paramilitary forces to take on Naxals in their strongholds.

The insurgency has reportedly claimed more than 6,000 lives and rendered thousands of poor inhabitants homeless. Enditem