Bhubaneswar, March 19 (IANS) About 500 Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have reached Orissa to hunt down Maoist guerrillas, an official said Friday.

The BSF men reached Koraput district Thursday. The BSF will team up with the police for a joint operation likely to start next month.

'We are awaiting the arrival of more forces,' Inspector General of Police (Operation) Sanjeev Marik told IANS. The details of the operation would be chalked out after reinforcements come, he said.

Jharkhand and West Bengal, both of which border Orissa, are engaged in a sweeping crackdown on the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist.