Raipur, July 29 (IANS) Maoists set five trucks of the Essar Group on fire in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Dantewada district Thursday, the second day of the week-long ‘martyrs week’ called by the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist).

Dozens of Maoists appeared in the early hours at Kirandul in Bailadila hills, an iron ore rich location, and set five trucks on fire, a police official told IANS.

Police reportedly reached the site hours after the incident, despite being informed immediately and failed to make any arrests.

The banned outfit has been observing the week in Chhattisgarh and other states in memory of its leaders who were killed in battles with security forces.

The ‘martyrs week’ has hit bus services in interiors of the state’s 40,000 sq km Bastar region that is considered the nerve centre of Maoist militancy in India.

Thirteen of Chhattisgarh’s 18 districts are hit by Maoist militancy, which has claimed over 2,000 lives, including 1,000 civilians, since the state came into existence after a split of Madhya Pradesh in November 2000.

Raipur, July 29 (IANS) Maoists set five trucks of the Essar Group on fire in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Dantewada district Thursday, the second day of the week-long ‘martyrs week’ called by the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist).

Dozens of Maoists appeared in the early hours at Kirandul in Bailadila hills, an iron ore rich location, and set five trucks on fire, a police official told IANS.

Police reportedly reached the site hours after the incident, despite being informed immediately and failed to make any arrests.

The banned outfit has been observing the week in Chhattisgarh and other states in memory of its leaders who were killed in battles with security forces.

The ‘martyrs week’ has hit bus services in interiors of the state’s 40,000 sq km Bastar region that is considered the nerve centre of Maoist militancy in India.

Thirteen of Chhattisgarh’s 18 districts are hit by Maoist militancy, which has claimed over 2,000 lives, including 1,000 civilians, since the state came into existence after a split of Madhya Pradesh in November 2000.