Bomb Explosion In India Kills 8 Police, Maois Rebels Mastermind

UNSPLASH/Jay Heike ILLUSTRATION

Eight police officers and a driver were killed in a bomb explosion masterminded by Maois rebels in central India's Chhattisgarh state.

Police vehicles carrying victims were hit by an explosion in the state's Bijapur district on Monday, January 6.

This is the latest in a series of sporadic attacks on security forces in the state.

This comes after frequent firefights between troops and rebels caused several insurgents to be killed in recent months.

As reported by Reuters, Chhattisgarh and its neighboring countries in central and eastern India have been affected by the Maois rebel insurgency for decades, although the area they operate in has been significantly reduced over the years.

The rebels adhered to the communist ideology spread by the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, and launched a guerrilla attack on the government, which caused intense clashes and casualties on both sides.

The Maois group says they are struggling to provide greater control to poor farmers in India and landless laborers on their land and a larger claim to minerals currently exploited by large mining companies.