Maoist attack claims nine lives in central India

Nine members of India’s security forces were killed in a roadside bomb blast orchestrated by Maoist guerrillas in the central state of Chhattisgarh on Monday.

The explosion caused their vehicle to be tossed into the air, according to police reports. Photographs from local media showed a large crater at the site of the blast.

The attack comes amid ongoing insurgency operations by the Maoist rebels, who have been fighting for the rights of marginalized indigenous communities in India’s resource-rich central regions.

Since the beginning of the conflict decades ago, over 10,000 lives have been lost.

The security personnel were returning from an anti-Maoist operation conducted on Saturday, which had resulted in the deaths of four rebels and one police officer.

Authorities reported that eight security personnel and one driver were killed when their vehicle came into contact with a landmine.

The Indian government has ramped up its counterinsurgency measures, and official data for 2024 shows that 287 rebels were killed, with 1,000 suspected Naxalites arrested and 837 surrendering.