Indian officials say Maoist rebels, disguised in police uniforms, have shot dead six residents of a remote village in eastern India.

The rebels stormed Kairali, 200 kilometers from the Bihar state capital, Patna. They accused some of the inhabitants of being police informers.

Police officials say five of the villagers were killed on the spot Saturday, while the sixth died later from his wounds.

Indian leaders have called the 40-year Maoist insurgency the country's biggest internal security threat.

Maoists have infiltrated more than 20 Indian states, saying they are fighting for jobs and land for the poor.