Police search forests in India after 21 Maoist rebels killed
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Security forces were hunting through forests in southeast India for Maoist rebels after a fierce gunfight left 21 rebels dead and two policemen wounded.
The gunfight broke out late Sunday after police received a tip that 60 Maoist rebels were gathered in forests on the border of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh states, said a police officer speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
The gunfight lasted an hour before the rebels scattered into the dense forests. At daybreak Monday, police and paramilitary soldiers launched a search for them, he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The rebels, who say they're inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, have been fighting for more than five decades to demand rights and jobs for the poor.