Chhattisgarh on alert after Maoists kill 29 police

RAIPUR, India (Reuters) - Authorities in Chhattisgarh deployed hundreds of paramilitary troops on Monday and searched for 13 missing policemen after Maoist insurgents killed 29 officers in a jungle ambush over the weekend.

The insurgents killed the policemen, including a district police chief, on Sunday while they patrolled Chhattisgarh's heavily forested Rajnandgaon district.

Police said the toll could rise as 13 policemen were still missing and a search was underway.

"Intelligence inputs coming from western and southern regions of the state indicate the police force might face more attacks from the Maoists," Deputy Inspector General of Police Pawan Deo said on Monday.

The Maoists started their armed struggle in West Bengal's Naxalbari town in the late 1967, and have expanded their support among villagers by tapping into resentment at the government's recent pro-industry push.

The rebels, estimated to have 22,000 fighters, operate in large parts of the eastern, central and southern countryside, and officials say they are spreading to cities and bigger towns.

Maoist rebels say they are fighting for the rights of poor farmers and the disenfranchised. The rebels regularly attack railway lines and factories, aiming to cripple economic activity.