Basrtar (Chhattisgarh), Dec 16 : Security forces killed two Maoist rebels in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh after a fierce gun battle on Tuesday.

The incident took place in thick-forested village of Surakhera in Bijapur district, about 450 kilometres from Raipur.

K. L. Nand, Station House Officer (SHO), Bijapur said that Maoists opened fire, which was retaliated and the two Maoists including one woman, were killed.

The gun battle continued for 90 minutes. A loaded gun, some tiffin bombs and Maoist literature were recovered from the site.

The Maoists have stepped up violence across eastern and central India. They have attacked schools and police stations, and used landmines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to disrupt infrastructure development projects.

The main objective of the Maoists is to prevent the development of infrastructure in remote areas, which so far has remained their exclusive domain.

Thousands have been killed by Maoists in the recent past. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Maoist threat one of the gravest homegrown threats to India''s internal security.

The rebels claim they are fighting for the rights of poor farmers and landless labourers. (ANI)