Koraput: Nine Maoists were arrested by security personnel during a combing operation in Koraput district today. The rebels were arrested by BSF jawans and Odisha police during a joint operation conducted in and around Elangavalsa village under Bandhugaon police limits, police said.

We had intelligence inputs regarding the presence of the Maoists and accordingly the operation was planned. No arms have been recovered from the rebels, Koraput superintendent of police Awinash Kumar said.

The arrested rebels were identified as members of the Jhanjabati area committee of outlawed CPI (Maoist)'s Korput-Srikakulam division. The rebels have confessed to their involvement in around eight Maoist offensives in the area which had taken place in the past one year, Kumar said.