Hundreds of Christians in India are hiding in the jungle after being forced from their homes by a wave of anti-Christian violence in the run-up to Christmas.
Twenty villages were attacked by radical Hindu nationalists in the Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts of Chhattisgarh state.
The villagers were attacked last Sunday as they gathered for worship.
Many of them were expelled from their villages by the rioters, while some were assaulted and others had their belongings stolen.
Several churches were attacked and vandalised, and in one village the church was demolished.
Some of the victims were hospitalised as a result of their injuries.
The Christian villagers were targeted after refusing to convert to Hinduism, according to International Christian Concern (ICC).
The US-based group said that when some of the villagers turned to the police for help, they were told to fend for themselves.
This story was originally published in christiantoday.com . Read the full story here