Rayagada (Orissa), Oct 24 Orissa Police arrested three Maoists in Rayagada district on Friday.

The militants were picked up from forest areas that fall under jurisdiction of the Gudari police station during a combing operation by the police, Superintendent of police A K Singh told reporters here.

"The trio belonging to Bansadhara committee of the red rebels was involved in a number of criminal offences, including murder, arson, violent attacks and loot and extortion, he added.

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

India is battling Maoists across eastern, central and southern India, an insurgency that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described as the biggest internal security challenge since independence.

The government of India formally been labelled Maoists as a terrorist group which gives security forces more enforcement powers.

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. (ANI)