Indian security forces kill at least 26 Maoist rebels

At least 26 Naxalite-Maoist rebels were killed in a gunfight with security forces in India's central Chhattisgarh state, officials said Wednesday.

This marks the second major clash this month between the Naxalites-a far-left militant group claiming to fight a rural rebellion-and Indian security forces.

Chhattisgarh, a heavily forested state in central India, is one of the areas where they are most active.

Officials said the latest encounter occurred in the state's Narayanpur-Bijapur district, where security forces' operation was still ongoing.

Chhattisgarh's Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma confirmed the death toll and said one security personnel was injured.

"Bodies are being recovered and a search operation is underway," he said.

Earlier this month, 31 rebels were killed in a separate operation along the border of the Chhattisgarh and Telangana states.

The group has waged an armed campaign for more than three decades across eastern and central India. Drawing inspiration from Maoist communism, they say they fight for the rights of tribal and rural communities.

The Indian government has intensified its crackdown and says it aims to eliminate the movement by next March.