Twelve Naxals were today arrested from separate places in Chhattisgarhs insurgency-hit Bijapur district, police said.

Bijapur Superintendent of Police Mohit Garg told PTI that six Naxals were apprehended from the forest near Dalla village under Basaguda police station limits, five from areas falling under Bedre police station and one from Tarnichhilpatpara in Jangla village.

Six Naxals were nabbed after a joint team of the Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF) 168th battalion and District Force acted on a tip-off and launched a search operation near Dalla in Basaguda, he said.

Basaguda is located about 450 kilometres from the state capital.

The six arrested from the forest near Dalla village have been identified as Madkam Hunga (24), Oyam Manglu (26), Kunjam Hunga (45), Punem Bandi (35), Uika Podia (25) and Nupo Pandu (20), the SP said.

Madkam Hunga, he said, was an active member of the Maoists' "military platoon number 9" and had also served as the gunman of Maoist "central committee" member Sonu.

Hunga was active in Abujhmad as well as Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, the official said.

They were allegedly involved in attacking police parties as well as cases of loot earlier, he said.

The five Naxals arrested from Murkinar village under Bedre police station limits were identified as Chaitu Kursam (29), Bonjo Poyam (30), Masa Kuhram (30), SudhramPoyam (22) and Betti Joga (35)

They belong to the DAKMS (Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Majdoor Sangathan) and janmilitia squads of the Maoists and were arrested by a joint team of Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) and DF, he said.

The five were allegedly involved in torching a passenger bus, after asking occupants to alight, between Kutru and Bedre on March 2 this year, he said.

Garg said that in the third incident, Naxal Dukhari Poyam (35), who was allegedly involved in the murder of a watchman at the house ofa panchayat secretary in Jangla, was arrested by the local police.