A clash between Indian security forces and Maoist rebels in the lush central Indian state of Chhattisgarh left 31 insurgents dead, police said Sunday.  

The fight in the Bajapur district of Chhattisgarh also left two Indian commandos dead. Other security personnel were injured in the clash.

Inspector General of Police in Chhattisgarh, Pattilingam Sundarraj said security forces commenced the anti-rebel operation based on intelligence that a large number of Maoists were present in the area. The authorities also recovered weapons and ammunition after the battle. 

Indian Home Affairs minister hails 'big success' of operation

Indian Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah, a members of the Hindu nationalist BJP and confidant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hailed the operation as a "big success in the direction of achieving a Naxal-free India." 

The Naxalites, a coalition of Marxist groups, have been engaged in an insurgency in north and central India since 1967.

The militants, who subscribe to the teachings of Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong, say they are fighting for more natural resources on behalf of poor Indigenous communities.

The Naxalites are multilingual, and able to speak with many tribal villagers in the underdeveloped, heavily forested Chhattisgarh region.