India rebel group calls ceasefire

An Indian communist rebel organisation, the People's War Group (PWG), has announced a unilateral, month-long ceasefire starting this Friday.

The group, which is based in the state of Andhra Pradesh, said it wanted the government to reciprocate.

The offer comes after the Chief Minister of the state, Chandrababu Naidu, renewed his call to the group to give up arms and hold peace talks.

The PWG has been running a violent campaign to establish a communist state since 1980.

Battles between the group and government forces have resulted in more than 6,000 deaths since then.

Previous ceasefires have not held.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service