NEW DELHI, March 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Hundreds of rebels on Monday seized a passenger train in eastern India with around 200 people on board, local media reported.

    The rebels pulled the emergency cord of the train, forcing the train to stop in a densely forested area in Latehar district, reports said.

    Indian television news channels reported the passenger train's driver and a guard had been kidnapped by the insurgents.

    It is not clear whether other crew members and the passengers are safe or have been robbed, local officials said.

    Rebels, who claim they are fighting on behalf of poor peasants and landless labourers in the region, have stepped up attacks on police and government supporters in eastern India in recent months. Enditem