RAIPUR, India (Reuters):

At least 300 prisoners, including dozens of Maoist insurgents, escaped from a central Indian jail after overpowering guards yesterday, police said.

About 40 Maoists held in the jail in Chhattisgarh state fled their cells and grabbed some rifles before freeing the others, senior police officer Sant Kumar Paswan said.

"This incident is very surprising and seems to be a very well- planned move," Paswan told Reuters by phone.

Sources within the jail suggested the breakout could not have been possible without the connivance of jailers.

Armed with the rifles and revolvers, the Maoists kept security personnel pinned down, while other rebels helped most of the prison inmates escape, he said.

Police reinforcements were sent to the jail and are searching surrounding areas, Sant said.

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 landless labourers. Their conflict has killed thousands of people, including hundreds of policemen, in the past three decades.