Suspected Maoist rebels kill 9 villagers in India, say police
By APWednesday, February 17, 2010
Suspected rebels kill 9 villagers in India
PATNA, India — Police say suspected Maoist have killed nine people in an attack on a rural village in the eastern Indian state of Bihar.
Anand Shanker, the director-general of police, says the attack occurred early Thursday in Kasari, a village nearly 125 miles (200 kilometers) southeast of Patna, the capital of Bihar state.
Shanker told The Associated Press that the assailants set on fire nearly 30 mud huts with thatched roofs, burning to death a family of four.
Fiver others were killed when suspected rebels fired indiscriminately at the villagers, he said.
The rebels have fought for more than three decades, demanding land and jobs for the poor. They frequently target police and government officials, whom they accuse of colluding with landlords and rich farmers to exploit the poor.
