Indian security forces kill 14 Maoist rebels

BHUBANESWAR: Security forces killed 14 Maoists in a firefight in eastern India on Saturday, police said, marking the latest bloodshed in a long conflict in which the rebels have been battling to overthrow the government.

It was the single biggest rebel death toll in Orissa state from one incident and came amid an intense anti-Maoist campaign in the area conducted over the past month, police said.

"Fourteen rebels, including one woman cadre, were killed. We are awaiting further information," Orissa state police director general Prakash Mishra told.

There were no immediate reports of casualties among security forces, Mishra added.

The Maoists have grown from a rag-tag band of ideologues into a potent insurgent force, creating a so-called "Red Corridor" that stretches throughout central and eastern India.