1st LD Writethru: Indian forces kill 7 Naxals rebels in Maharashtra gunfight

NEW DELHI, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least seven Naxals rebels were killed Wednesday in a gunfight with government forces in India's western state of Maharashtra, local media reported.

The gunfight broke out in Gadchiroli district, bordering neighboring Chhattisgarh state.

"Seven naxals were killed in an encounter with security forces in Gadchiroli today," a New Delhi based news agency Asian News International said.

According to a local news outlet Nagpur Today, of the slain Naxals, five were women cadres and two men.

"They were gunned down in a close encounter that took place between C-60 jawans and Maoists, near village Kalled," the outlet said.

The Nagpur Today said police have recovered bodies during the search operation.

Meanwhile in a separate gunfight, one paramilitary trooper was wounded during a gunfight with Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Kondagaon district.

The wounded troop was airlifted to Raipur city for specialised treatment.

Naxalites are also known as "Maoists".

Maoist insurgency has its genesis in the violent left-wing rebellion that began in 1967 in village Naxalbari in Indian state of West Bengal.

Currently Maoists are active in more than a third of India's 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. Enditem