Maoists kill eight in Bihar

Raniganj (Bihar), Aug 22 (ANI): At least eight people, including five policemen, were killed in a gunbattle with Maoist rebels in Bihar on Thursday.

A rebel and a civilian were also among those killed when the guerrillas riding motorcycles fired on a police van in the Raniganj area, a Maoist stronghold. The rebels also made off with some police weapons.

The security team walked into a Maoist trap after it was informed that criminals were looting a nearby bank.

"The Maoists attacked the police party which was patrolling the area. Four policemen died on the spot and one succumbed during treatment. One rebel was also killed during the encounter," said Paresh Saxena, superintendent of police, Gaya.

The Maoists say they are fighting for the rights of poor peasants and landless labourers.

They operate in a large swathe of India stretching from the east to some southern states, mostly in the countryside, and routinely arrange protests, kill policemen, attack government property and target local politicians. (ANI)