Indian police dismiss 13 officers

INDIA: The government in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh Wednesday dismissed 13 policemen for refusing to fight the Naxalite extreme left-wing rebels, said a police officer.

The police officials refused to go to Rajnandgaon district of Raipur in Chhatisgarh where Naxalite rebels killed 29 of their colleagues last month.

"We can't tolerate indiscipline, the 13 cops had openly refused to go to Madanwara in Rajnandgaon district where Naxals killed 29 policemen in coordinated attacks on July 12," Inspector General of Police R.K. Vij said over phone. "More policemen are on our firing line, we will deal strongly with those not ready to join postings in battle zone," he said.

Twenty-nine constables were suspended last month in the state after they refused to go for a 15-day orientation course at a counter-Insurgency training and jungle warfare college.

Chhattisgarh has been witnessing a string of attacks on policemen and civilians since June 2005, when a government backed civil militia movement.

The Naxalite rebels staged a two-day strike against government targets earlier this week in five states, including Chhattisgarh, over what they called the "illegal" detention of their leaders by the local authorities. New Delhi, Thursday, Xinhua