India Maoist attack 'kills eight'

Suspected Maoist rebels have killed eight Indian security personnel in an attack on a government-owned explosives warehouse, police say.

The rebels attacked the facility at night, in the state of Chhattisgarh.

Police say they escaped with large quantities of explosives after a gunfight with members of India's Central Industrial Security Force.

Nine other security personnel were wounded. It is not known whether the Maoists suffered any casualties.

Reports say the Maoists attacked the facility with automatic weapons and rifles.

"They took away the explosives into the nearby forests," Chhattisgarh Additional Director General of Police, SK Paswan, is quoted as saying by Reuters.

Maoist campaign

Thousands have died in Maoist campaigns across central and southern India in the past 30 years.

The Maoists, who operate across several Indian states, frequently target police stations and government offices.

India's government believes there may be 10,000 armed Maoists in the country.

The Maoists say they are fighting to protect the rights of peasants and landless labourers in the countryside.