'Odisha Maoists may have joined in Chhattisgarh attack'

A group of 15-20 Maoists from Odisha may have played a role in the last week's attack on a Congress convey in Chhattisgarh that left about 30 people dead, a police officer said Wednesday.

Two senior Maoist leaders - Madhab and Arbind - who operate in the Ramgiri forest in Koraput district, about 350 km from here, disappeared from the area May 12 along with several other rebels, a senior police officer said.

The group returned to the area only after the attack in the Sukma area of Chhattisgarh. Koraput and Malkangiri districts share border with Chhattisgarh.

"Although the rebels did not disclose where they had gone, we suspect they may have joined the group that carried out the attack," the officer told IANS, citing intelligence inputs.

Anti-Maoist operations have been intensified in Koraput and its adjoining district of Malkangiri following the intelligence inputs, the officer added.