Raygarh (Orissa), Oct. 21 : Police have arrested two Maoists, both in their 20s, during a combing operation being carried out in Halam Gaon of Orissa’s Rayagada district.

The arrested persons have been identified as Narasimha Mamulka and Subhash Mamulka. Both of them have five cases already registered against them for different crimes.

"These two were involved and working with the Maoist organisations since 2004 and there were several cases registered against them under different sections," said Ashish Kumar Singh, Superintendent of Police (SP), Rayagada.

Government has witnessed a series of violent Maoist attacks after police arrested three top Maoist ideologues --. Kobad Ghandy, Chhatradhar Mahato and Chandrabhushan Yadav.

The Maoist rebellion commenced about four decades ago for the cause of poor peasants in the east, but has now spread to about 20 of India''s 29 states. The Maoists, who say they are waging war on behalf of the poor and the landless against the state, have taken effective control of interior areas of the countryside.

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has said the Government is willing to talk to the Maoists about issues such as poverty and corruption that are often blamed for stoking the violence, but for that the rebels must first stop violence. (ANI)