16 Naxal rebels killed in India

Sixteen Naxal rebels were killed in a gun battle with security forces in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, officials said on Saturday.

Two security personnel sustained injuries in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, officials said.

While confirming the casualties, top Sukma police official Kiran Gangaram said weapons were recovered as well.

Last month, over 30 Naxals were killed in a gun battle along the border between the central Chhattisgarh and eastern Orissa states.

"My appeal to those with arms is that weapons and violence cannot bring change; only peace and development can," said Home Minister Amit Shaw on X.

The insurgent group draws inspiration from far-left radical communists, supportive of Maoist political ideology. The rebels have been fighting for more than three decades in eastern and central India for what they describe as the rights of tribal people in the region.

The Indian government has claimed the insurgency will be quashed by March 2026.