A land mine exploded under a paramilitary vehicle in a forest area of Bastar district in Chattisgarh on Monday, killing four soldiers and critically wounding three others, police said.The soldiers were ambushed by suspected Maoist rebels in a forest area of Bastar, said Rahul Sharma, the senior superintendent of police.They were on their way to join other government forces providing security for a visit by Indian President Pratibha Patil, Sharma said.The soldiers belonged to Central Reserve Police Force.The area where they were attacked is about 1,100 miles (1,800 kilometers) southeast of the capital, New Delhi. The rebels, who claim to be inspired by Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong, have been fighting for more than two decades in several Indian states, mainly Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Karnataka, Orissa and Chattisgarh. Thousands of people have been killed.They are demanding land and jobs for agricultural labourers and the poor.The rebels often target police and government officials, whom they accuse of colluding with landlords and rich farmers to exploit the poor.
