Maoists unleash violence in West Bengal

Jhargram/Simlipal (West Bengal), Dec 5 (ANI): Suspected Maoists set two trucks and a car afire on the national highway near Jhargram's Lodhasuli forest in West Bengal's Midnapore district on Friday.

The attack came on the fourth day of a Maoist-sponsored ongoing indefinite shutdown in the State's West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts.

The shutdown was called to support the Maoist demand for a withdrawal of joint paramilitary forces in Lalgarh.

The state government has withdrawn six companies of the joint paramilitary forces on Friday on the instructions from the Central Government.

Residents said the state government should find a quick solution to the issue.

"We want that peace should prevail and so that people can live safely. We are facing problems in moving and there might also be others like us," said Amit Kumar Sharma, a resident.

In another incident, suspected Maoists killed three persons at Simlipal under Belpahari police station.

All three were activists of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Thousands have been killed during the Maoist insurgency, which began in the late 1960s, 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)