POLICE KILLED NINE MAOIST REBELS FRIDAY IN A GUNBATTLE IN INDIA'S SOUTHERN ANDHRA PRADESH STATE, POLICE OFFICIALS SAID, ACCORDING TO DPA. "ON A TIP-OFF, A POLICE PARTY TRACKED A TRAINING CAMP OF 30 MAOISTS IN THE FOREST," M VENKATADRI, A DISTRICT POLICE OFFICER, SAID BY TELEPHONE, ADDING THAT THOSE REBELS NOT KILLED ESCAPED. THEY INCLUDED THREE CRITICALLY INJURED GUERILLAS, HE SAID. NO POLICE WERE HURT, HE SAID. THE REBELS, WHO ARE FIGHTING TO ESTABLISH A COMMUNIST STATE, WERE KILLED NEAR THE BORDER OF THE CENTRAL CUDAPPAH DISTRICT, LOCATED ABOUT 550 KILOMETRES SOUTH OF STATE CAPITAL, HYDERABAD. POLICE ALSO RECOVERED A CACHE OF ARMS AND AMMUNITION IN THE OPERATION THAT INCLUDED SELF-LOADING RIFLES, REVOLVERS, CLAYMORE MINES AND ROCKETS. AMONG THE GUERILLAS KILLED WERE SOME TOP LEADERS OF THE BANNED COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA-MAOIST, THE IANS NEWS AGENCY REPORTED, ADDING THAT THE OPERATION WAS THE FIRST INSTANCE IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS THAT SUCH A LARGE NUMBER OF REBELS WERE GUNNED DOWN. ACCORDING TO GOVERNMENT ESTIMATES, MORE THAN 20,000 MAOIST REBELS ARE OPERATING IN REMOTE AND PREDOMINANTLY TRIBAL AREAS OF 13 INDIAN STATES.
