More than 150 Maoists battled with the police, who were on patrol in forests about 150 km from the state capital Patna late on Sunday, senior police officer P.K. Thakur told AFP. Bihar is one of several states across east and central India where Maoist rebel groups exert a bloody sway. On Sunday five policemen were killed by Maoists in the state of Chhattisgarh. The rebels have fought for decades against state and central government rule, drawing support from tribal groups and landless farmers left behind by the country's economic expansion.