Authorities in southern India say a shootout between security forces and suspected Maoist rebels has killed eight rebels, including four women.
Officials in Andhra Pradesh say police commandos led a raid against a group of rebels meeting in a densely forested area Sunday.
The officials say a senior Maoist leader was among those killed in the clash, some 400 kilometers south of the state capital, Hyderabad.
Andhra Pradesh is one of several Indian states where the Maoists are active. Thousands of people have been killed in the violence over the past two decades.
The rebels claim to be inspired by the teachings of Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong. They say they are fighting for the rights of India's poor and landless farmers.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
