Guwahati, Nov 18 (IANS): A total 13 Maoist cadres, who were close associates of the proscribed CPI-Maoist's veteran leader Arun Kumar Bhattacharjee alias 'Kanchan Da', have surrendered in Dibrugarh and Cachar districts of Assam, officials said on Friday.

A police official said that following the crackdown of the security forces across the state, the Maoists were forced to surrender before the police late on Thursday night.

A Central Committee Member and an ideologue and strategist of CPI-Maoist, Bhattacharjee alias Jyotish alias Kabir alias Kanchan Da, who hailed from West Bengal's Howrah district was arrested earlier this year from Assam's Cachar.

Assam Police earlier this month had arrested Cachar trade union leader Dharitri Sharma for alleged links with the Maoist as it and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have arrested several Maoist leaders this year in the northeastern state.

Senior Assam police officials claimed that the CPI-Maoist has been making attempts to spread their organisational base in the northeast region in general, and Assam in particular.

"The CPI-Maoist has been trying to create a red corridor in the northeast region to wage war in a coordinated manner with other like minded organizations.They have constituted a core committee in Assam to facilitate the command and control of the organisation," an Assam Police official said.