Security forces kill 29 Maoist rebels in India
The state police say this is the highest number of Maoist casualties in a clash in recent years.
Chhattisgarh has seen a long-running insurgency by Maoists who say they are fighting for the rights of the poor.
People in Bastar are set to vote on Friday on the first day of the general election, while Kanker goes to polls on 26 April.
Security forces said Tuesday’s clash happened after they received a tip-off about the presence of leaders from the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) in Kankar.
A gunfight broke out during the search operation by forces and after that, 29 bodies of Maoist rebels and a large cache of arms were recovered, P Sundarraj, Inspector General of Police of Bastar, told reporters on Wednesday.
India’s Border Security Force (BSF) said that two senior members of the CPI (Maoist) are believed to be among those killed.
Federal Home Minister Amit Shah has congratulated security personnel on the success of the operation.
