Indian security forces kill 16 Maoist rebels

NEW DELHI - Indian security forces have killed 16 Maoist rebel fighters, including a senior commander, in the eastern state of Jharkhand as the authorities step up efforts to quash the long-running insurgency.

More than 10,000 people have died in the

decades-long rebellion waged by the guerrillas

, who say they are fighting for the rights of marginalised indigenous people in resource-rich pockets of India.

New Delhi has launched an all-out campaign against the insurgents – also known as Naxalites, after the village in the Himalayan foothills where the Maoist-inspired insurgency began nearly six decades ago – and vowed to end the rebellion by March.

Since 2024, more than 500 Maoist rebels have been killed, including some top commanders, according to government figures.

The latest gunfight was reported from West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand state, India’s Home Minister Amit Shah said in a social media post late on Jan 22.

One of those killed was a “notorious” Naxal Central Committee member named Patiram Manjhi, Mr Shah said. He had a bounty of more than US$100,000 (S$128,000) on his head.

“We are committed to eradicating Naxalism, which has been synonymous with fear and terror for decades, before March 31,” Mr Shah said.

“I once again appeal to the remaining Naxals to abandon the ideology that connects to violence, terror and arms, and join the mainstream of development and trust.”

The Naxalite rebellion once held sway across nearly a third of the country, with an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 fighters at its peak in the mid-2000s, but it has been dramatically weakened in recent years. AFP