Nearly 300 prisoners escape from Indian jail
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Some 300 prisoners, including dozens of Maoist insurgents, have escaped from a central Indian jail after overpowering guards. Police said about 40 Maoists held in the jail in Chhattisgarh state fled their cells and grabbed rifles before freeing the others. Reinforcements were sent to the jail and a massive search operation is under way in the surrounding areas. Chhattisgarh is a stronghold of the rebels, who operate in at least 13 Indian states. The Maoists say they are fighting for the rights of poor farmers and labourers. Thousands of people, including many paramilitary personnel and police, have been killed in the insurgency since the late 1960s.