Indian police kills 7 Naxals in Chhattisgarh gunfight

Indian police have killed seven Naxals in a gunfight in central state of Chhattisgarh, officials said Wednesday.

The gunfight broke out Tuesday at Dantewada district, about 350 km south of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh.

"Yesterday in a gunfight between District Reserve Group (DRG) of police and Naxalites inside Abujhmad forests of Narayanpur, seven Naxals were killed," a police official said. "The gunfight was triggered after Naxals fired upon the police party in the area."

Reports said policemen have not suffered any damage in the stand-off.

India's official broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) said apart from the bodies of insurgents, weapons and other Naxalite materials were recovered from the spot.

Naxalites, known as "Maoists", has their genesis in the violent left-wing rebellion that began in 1967 at village Naxalbari in Indian state of West Bengal.

Currently Maoists are active in more than a third of India's 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 its paramilitary forces to take on Naxals in their strongholds.

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

Earlier this month at least eight policemen were killed and five others wounded after a vehicle they were travelling in was hit by a landmine blast triggered by Naxals in neighboring Odisha state. Endit