Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Suspected Maoist Rebels Kill 14 Policemen in India

   VOA News 15 February 2010
   Charred remains of police camp ambushed by suspected Maoist rebels are
   seen  in  west  Midnapore district of West Bengal state, India, 15 Feb
   2010

Photo: AP

   Charred remains of police camp ambushed by suspected Maoist rebels are
   seen  in  west  Midnapore district of West Bengal state, India, 15 Feb
   2010

   At  least  14 Indian policemen have died after suspected Maoist rebels
   stormed  a  security  camp  in  eastern  India,  shooting  at security
   officials and setting fire to the site.
   Authorities say the rebels ambushed the camp in the Midnapore district
   in the state of West Bengal Monday.
   Police  say  some  of  the  rebels  were  riding motorcycles and fired
   indiscriminately on police in the camp.
   India has launched a military campaign in several states targeting the
   Maoist rebels.

   Senior  Indian  officials have called the Maoist insurgency in some of
   India's  most  impoverished states the country's most serious internal
   security threat.
   Officials  say the rebels, called Naxalites, have spread across nearly
   one-third of the country - mostly in central and eastern India - since
   the insurgency started as a peasant uprising in 1967.
   Officials  say that in the past decade, more than 600 people have died
   annually  in  Maoist-linked violence.  The rebels, who want to build a
   communist   state,   have   been   targeting   security   forces   and
   infrastructure.


   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

.