Maoist camp busted in Odisha, area commander held

Police and security forces destroyed a Maoist camp on the Odisha-Jharkhand border Friday and arrested a rebel area commander and his bodyguard at the site with weapons, police said.

Based on a tip-off, a joint team of both the states raided the rebel camp on a hilltop in Sundergarh district, about 500 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, a senior district police official told IANS.

Police arrested Surya Don and his bodyguard after a brief exchange of fire. About 13 other rebels escaped, he said.

Police seized a dozen rifles, 200 bullets and two hand-grenades.

Surya is a local area commander of People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a Maoist group active on the Odisha-Jharkhand border. He has been involved in series of crimes in the region including dacoities, murders and extortions, police said.