Rebels known as Naxalites have waged an insurgency that has ebbed and flowed over decades, but government operations have given them less space to maneuver.

Indian security forces have killed 31 Maoist rebels in the forests of Chhattisgarh state. Two Indian commandos were also killed in the battle, and two other security force members were wounded, police said. Chhattisgarh has seen a long-running insurgency by Maoists who say they are fighting for the rights of the poor.

At least 31 suspected Maoist rebels and two police officers have been killed in the deadliest combat so far this year in central India.

Indian Minister Amit Shah hailed the fight as a "big success" against the communist Naxalite insurgency. The clash in Chattisgarh's Bijapur district also left two Indian security personnel dead.

Indian security forces killed at least 31 Maoist rebels on Sunday in one of the deadliest clashes since the government ramped up efforts to crush the long-running insurgency. Two Indian commandos were also killed in the battle, and two other security force members were wounded, police said.