As many as 18 persons, including two women, have been arrested for allegedly attacking Tangapalli village in Maoist-affected Malkangiri district of Odisha three days ago.
While 16 of the attackers had been captured by the villagers after the incident on Monday night, two others who had escaped were nabbed by police from Mathili area today, police officials said.
Around 40 people, including women, armed with sharp weapons, bows and arrows had attacked the village late Monday night, but the villagers overpowered 16 of them, while others fled, they said.
Police later brought the 16 detainees, dubbed by the villagers as Maoists, to Malkangiri and interrogated them at length to establish their identities, police said, adding two others belonging to the group were also caught by police.
Though it was found that the detainees had no link with the red rebels, they were arrested for undertaking an attack with weapons, threatening the villagers and trying to loot, they said.
