India: Maoist rebels attack Indian air force helicopter

	ASSOCIATED PRESS
	NEW DELHI, Jan 18: Police say suspected Maoist rebels have fired on an Indian Air Force helicopter, injuring one wireless operator on board while the aircraft was trying to evacuate wounded policemen from the Maoist stronghold.
	Indian Air Force Helicopter The helicopter was forced to land in Teliwara area in eastern Chhattisgarh state on Friday, a police officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. Pranay Sahay, a paramilitary force officer, says the helicopter was trying to evacuate two state policemen wounded in fighting with Maoist rebels in the area. The rebels have been fighting the central government for more than four decades, demanding land and jobs for tenant farmers and the poor. About 2,000 people — including police, militants and civilians — have been killed in the past few years.
Published on 2013-01-18 21:12:51