Forces kill 3 Naxals in gunfight in India's Chhattisgarh

NEW DELHI, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least three Naxals were killed Thursday in a gunfight with government forces in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, officials said.

The gunfight between Naxals and a joint contingent of police and paramilitary forces broke out in a forest area in Sukma district, about 411 km south of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh.

On Monday, eight policemen and a driver were killed after a vehicle they were travelling on was blown up by an improvised explosive device triggered by Naxals in Bijapur district.

Currently, Naxals were active across central and eastern parts of India.

The insurgency has reportedly claimed hundreds of lives and rendered thousands of people homeless.