Indian security forces kill 16 Maoist rebels in firefight

Indian security forces killed at least 16 Maoist rebels in a gun battle in the central state of Chhattisgarh, police said on Saturday.

The extreme left-wing rebels have waged a guerrilla offencive against the government, especially in central and eastern India, for decades, leading to intense clashes and casualties on both sides.

In Friday's incident, security forces found a variety of guns during a search in Sukma in southern Chhattisgarh, police said in a statement.

The rebels say they are fighting to give poor Indian farmers and landless labourers more control over their land and a greater claim to minerals being exploited by major mining companies.

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah has vowed to eliminate the insurgency, and clashes between security forces and Maoists have intensified since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power for a third term last year.