NEW DELHI

Ten Maoist rebels, also known as Naxals, were killed in a gun battle with security forces in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, officials said on Friday.

The state's chief minister's office confirmed the number of Naxals killed, and said a major operation was launched in Sukma district in the morning.

“The government is working on the policy of zero tolerance towards Naxalism,” Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said.

The Naxalites draw inspiration from far-left radical communists, supportive of the Maoist political ideology. They have been fighting for more than three decades in eastern and central India for what they describe as the rights of tribal people in the region.

Several Naxals have been killed in fighting with security forces in the state recently. Last month, 38 rebels were killed in a similar operation.