Maoists blow up police station, kill four

INDIA: Maoist guerrillas blew up a police station after killing four men including two sentries and an officer in eastern India, officials said Tuesday.

The attack late Monday in lawless Bihar state's Gaya district came hours before the federal government renewed a call to outlawed Maoists to give up arms and take part in talks with the government.

Scores of guerrillas attacked the police station in Tankuppa county, 40 kilometres (24 miles) from Gaya city and killed two guards and an inspector, the Press Trust of India quoted a Bihar police department spokesman as saying.

A civilian also died in the clash during which the outnumbered police and the guerrillas exchanged more than 2,000 rounds of gunfire, he said, adding the rebels dynamited the building after overrunning it.

A hunt is on for the guerrillas, who enjoy wide support among low-caste Hindus in the impoverished state. On Tuesday, Home Secretary V.K. Duggal renewed New Delhi's offer of talks with the guerrillas.

But "unless they shun violence, no talks are possible," Duggal said in the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh which is also in the grip of the leftwing insurgency.

Duggal insisted the rebellion was waning in most of the 15 of 29 states where the Maoists are active.

"However Maoist violence in (the central state of) Chhattisgarh has shown an upsurge and there is a need for intensified efforts to control the menace," he said. New Delhi, Wednesday, AFP