Indian police say they have killed eight Maoist rebels, including a top leader, during a clash in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

Police said senior leader Burra Chinnaiah, also known as Madhav, was among those killed in the shootout.

The clash broke out after police raided a rebel meeting in Prakasham district.

Maoist rebels are active in about a third of India's states. In some parts of the country, they run a virtual parallel administration.

Andhra Pradesh police chief Swaranjit Sen said the incident happened in Yerragantapalem area when the police raided a meeting of some 80 rebels that was being held in a forested area.

Five women were among those killed.

Rising violence

Chinnaiah had taken over as state secretary of the CPI Maoist rebel group in Andhra Pradesh last October.

The police said the rebel leader was a key planner in the murder of former state interior minister A Madhav Reddy in 2000.

They say he was also responsible for an attempt on the life of former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu in 2003.

The police recovered some arms from the scene of the incident.

Last month, police in the state said they had killed another Maoist leader, Ravi Kumar.

State police say they have killed about 80 rebels this year, including some top leaders.

Some 20 civilians and police officers have been killed by the rebels this year, police say.

Maoist violence has been on the rise since peace talks between the state and the rebels collapsed in January 2005.

PHOTO CAPTION

A Maoist rebel keeps guard as other rebels train with their arms, unseen, at Rajthali, about 250 kilometers (156 miles) southwest of Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, July 19, 2006. (AP)