n a gun battle between Maoist rebels and supporters of the ruling Communist party in the Indian state of West Bengal.A five-hour battle ended after police arrived to break up the clash.
Villagers in the West Midnapore region said that up to 15 people may have been killed or injured in the clash which began on Monday night.
Separately, a top Maoist leader has been arrested in the capital, Delhi, a rebel spokesman said.
Kobad Ghandy was in charge of spreading the rebels' influence in urban areas and running the publications wing of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), reports say.
Maoist-linked violence across central and eastern India has killed 6,000 people in India over the past 20 years.
The Maoists say they represent the rights of landless farmhands and tribal communities.
Last week at least seven Maoists and one soldier were killed in a battle in the central state of Chhattisgarh and more than 20 police were killed in the eastern state of Jharkand.
In the latest incident, the rebels surrounded an office belonging to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) at Enayetpur in West Midnapore district on Monday evening.
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