Indian supercop takes charge of Chhattisgarh
5 Maoists killed
Troops killed five Maoist guerrillas in India's central state of Chhattisgarh as a celebrated anti-insurgency expert took charge of a crackdown in the rebels' bastion, officials said yesterday.
State police chief O.P. Rathore said the rebels were killed in two separate overnight encounters by commandos and federal troops, now placed under the command of Kanwar Pal Singh Gill.
Two most-wanted guerrillas were also arrested following the firefights in the Maoist stronghold of Dantewada district, 500km from the state capital Raipur, he added.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Maoist rebels virtually run parallel administrations in 10 of the state's 16 impoverished districts and enjoy widespread support in their campaign for a better deal for landless farmers.
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