Maoist rebels kill eight in India

Maoists have a presence in 182 districts of India

Maoist rebels have killed at least eight villagers in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, police say.

The victims were all members of Shanti Sena (Peace Army) - a government-backed local resistance group formed to fight the Maoists.

More than 6,000 people have died during the rebels' 20-year fight for a communist state in parts of India.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the Maoist insurgency is the "single biggest threat" to India's security.

"The villagers were crossing the road through a forest when the Maoists sprayed bullets on them," police officer Deepak Kumar Sinha was quoted by news agency Reuters as saying.

The incident took place in Gumla district, 93 miles (150kms) west of the state capital Ranchi.

Maoist rebels have a presence in 18 of the 22 districts in Jharkhand.

They operate in 182 districts in India, mainly in the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal.

The rebels say they are fighting for the rights of poor peasants and landless workers.