Ranchi:
Ten Maoists were killed in a gunbattle with a rival faction in Jharkhand's Chatra district yesterday evening, police said.
The gunbattle was reported between the CPI (Maoist) and its faction, Tritiya Prastuti Committee.
Rajeev Kumar, Director General of Police, Jharkhand, said four senior members of the CPI (Maoist) were among those killed. "Police recovered an AK-47 rifle, three .303 rifles and ammunition from near the bodies," he said.
The bodies were found in the forests under Kunda police station, about 100 km from Ranchi.
The Tritiya Prastuti Committee is a splinter group of the CPI (Maoist). Rivals allege they have the backing of the police and local administration.