Dozens of people were killed after suspected Maoist rebels attacked three trucks in central India on Tuesday, police said.

There were conflicting reports on the number of fatalities.

The Associated Press reported 23 people died after militants blew up one truck and set fire to two others. Most of the casualties were believed to have been in the truck that was blown up, a police spokesman said.

But another police spokesman told Reuters that 55 people were killed when Maoists set off a landmine.

He added that those killed were tribal members returning from an anti-Maoist meeting organized by the state.

The attack was more than 1,200 kilometres southeast of New Delhi and near the town of Darbhaguda in rural Chhattisgarh state, the area of a number of attacks by Maoists.

The attack also came the day before U.S. President George W. Bush is to arrive in India for a four-day visit. In preparation, India has dramatically increased security, specifically in the Himalayan region of Kashmir.