Maoist strike shuts down parts of N.W India

Maoist rebels today, called a strike in northwestern India to protest rising prices and alleged police atrocities. The action shut down factories, blocked highways and resulted in rebels setting fire to trucks and a mobile phone tower. Rebels in the Gaya district of Bihar state blew up a mobile phone tower, disrupting transportation services in the area due to the fact that dispatchers would not send out taxis and buses near areas of rebel activity. Elsewhere in Bihar, the rebels passed out anti-police fliers and set fire to at least 12 trucks. In the state of West Bengal, rebels forced shops and businesses to shut down.