Our Correspondent in Patna

Nine Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) workers were gunned down and ten Dalit houses set on fire by the Satish Pandey gang at Jagdishpur village in Siwan district of Bihar.

Bihar Director General of Police R R Prasad confirmed the news about the killings and said the nine men died in a clash between CPI (M-L) activists and Satish Pandey's gang.

According to reports, the Pandey gang wanted to avenge the death of one of its members at the hands of CPI (ML) activists in inter gang rivalry last month.

All the people killed were in their 20s.

Police have recovered 30 live cartridges and 30 used ones from the scene of the crime.

No arrests have been made so far.

Satish Pandey is a notorious outlaw who unsuccessfully contested the last assembly elections on a Samata Party ticket.