UPDATE 1-Maoists kill 10 policemen, wound dozens in east India

(Updates toll, adds details)

PATNA, India Feb 9 (Reuters) - Suspected Maoists killed at least 10 policemen and wounded dozens of people in eastern India on Monday, police said.

The rebels fired on policemen watching a cultural show in the region's Bihar state, a senior officer said.

"We have undertaken a massive combing operation in the area to trace the Maoists involved in the attack," said Neel Mani, a senior police officer.

The rebels fired indiscriminately, killing the policemen and left on motorcycles with their weapons, police said.

Last week, rebels killed 15 policemen in the western state of Maharashtra, in one of the biggest attacks in the state.

Maoist rebels say they are fighting for the rights of poor farmers and landless labourers, and have killed thousands of people since the start of the armed movement in the late 1960s.

Security experts say their influence is growing. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the insurgency as one of the gravest threats to India's internal security. (Writing by Bappa Majumdar; Editing by Jerry Norton)