October 22, 2001	Monday	Shaba'an 4, 1422

NEW DELHI, Oct 21: Maoist rebels spearheading an armed campaign against multinational firms in India, attacked a Coca Cola factory in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.

The soft drink company said the attackers overpowered the security guards at the gates of the factory in the coastal state’s Guntur district and then damaged the facility using four landmines.

“The attackers bombed the boiler plant, the vehicle parking area and administrative building. Another bomb did not explode,” the company said in a statement.

The Maoists tried to destroy the production unit of the factory but failed, it added.

No one was injured in the raid which took place early on Sunday by around 12 heavily-armed members of the People’s War Group, state police said.

A local police official said the rebels came in a jeep and a motorcyle and escaped after causing heavy damage to parts of the factory.

Three cars belonging to the company were also destroyed by the blasts.

The People’s War Group are locked in an armed conflict against the Andhra Pradesh government to press for sweeping land reforms in favour of poor farmers. —AFP