Bhubaneswar, April 14 (IANS): Seven tribals, including a village head and a former block chairperson, were abducted by Maoists in Odisha's Malkangiri district, police said on Tuesday.
They were abducted from Kartanpalli village on Monday night.
Director General of Police Sanjeev Marik said the police have received information about the abduction and are trying to rescue them.
Sources said there were about 15-20 armed Maoists who abducted the people.
Police have launched a search operation to locate the tribals. The police has also sounded a high alert in six Maoist affected districts following a combing operation in the Sukma area of Chhattisgarh.
"We are keeping a close eye on the movement of Maoists. We have sounded alert in the bordering districts," Marik said, adding that intelligence gathering had also been strengthened.