July 14, 2007	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Sani 28, 1428

RAIPUR (India): The killing of 24 Indian troops this week by Maoist rebels has raised concerns over whether security forces can successfully battle the insurgents, officials and analysts said on Friday.

The jungle clash in central India erupted after a unit of 100 soldiers and armed police went to check on a suspected rebel camp only to find themselves heavily outnumbered and outgunned, security sources said.

The estimated 500 guerillas in insurgency-hit Chhattisgarh state were equipped with bullet-proof jackets and helmets, mortars, automatic weapons, rocket launchers and advanced improvised explosive devices.

“The security men had almost entered the rebel stronghold but heavy firing from every side stopped them,” a Chhattisgarh police official said.

“It indicates they are even prepared for an air strike or to counter tanks,” said another senior top police official, who requested anonymity.

Dozens of troops apparently ran away from the clash in the mineral-rich state's forested Dantewada district, 500 kilometres south of state capital Raipur.

Other police sources said troops ran out of ammunition while the Maoists quickly summoned reinforcements.

The debacle has prompted serious questions over how India is fighting the rebels — described last year by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the biggest threat to the internal security of the world's largest democracy.

The guerillas appear to enjoy massive support among the region's vast tribal population and landless farmers neglected by governments and fed up over unemployment and rampant corruption.

Originally a peasant uprising which erupted in 1967 in the eastern state of West Bengal, the rebellion has spread across 14 of India's 29 states.

“You can't fight the challenge even with better weapons because the troops are heavily outnumbered and most are trained for static jobs — not for guerilla warfare,” said Ajai Sahni, head of the Institute for Conflict Management.—AFP