Rebels shot and set fire to a local leader from the ruling party in India's eastern state of Jharkhand one day after killing civilians in another state, a news report said Monday. A group of 12 insurgents intercepted the vehicle of a Congress Party politician in the southern Simdega district on Sunday night, the NDTV network reported. "They shot him and then burned the vehicle. Police recovered the body from the gutted vehicle Monday morning," the network was quoted as saying by the German Press Agency "DPA". The rebels left behind posters warning that they would eliminate more politicians if the army's nationwide counterinsurgency offensive was not withdrawn immediately. The killing followed the executions of six villagers in central Chhattisgarh state on Saturday by rebels who suspected them of being police informers. More than 3,500 civilians, security personnel and rebels have been killed in the insurgency since 2006, according to Home Ministry data.
