Police in Odisha’s Malkangiri district arrested 12 Maoists who were allegedly involved in killing of tribals branded by the rebels as ‘police informers’.
This year in Malkangiri, 11 civilians, all of them tribals, have been killed by Maoists on charges of them being police informers, a charge police call baseless.
About a week ago, Maoists had battered a tribal farmer Sadhu Khemundu to death in the district.
Malkangiri SP Jagmohan Meena said after the killings, police had intensified combing operations in the Maoist-infested Kalimela, Tulsi and Nakakamudi areas in the district.
During the joint operation, the 12 rebels were arrested from their respective jungle dens and houses.
“They are all hardcore militants. We’re continuing with our verification about their involvement in other cases,” Meena said.