Two Maoists were on Monday arrested and explosives recovered from them in restive Dantewada district of Bastar, police said.
The cadres Madkam Hidma (22) and Madkam Deva (21) were arrested by a joint team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and District Force (DF) near Sameli village under Aranpur police station limits, a senior police official said.
A composite squad of personnel from CRPF's 111th and 231st battalions and DF had launched a search-cum-area domination operation on Dantewada-Aranpur road, the police official said.
The patrolling team spotted some suspects hiding in the forests near Sameli following which they started encircling them. While some of them managed to escape, Hidma and Deva, active as Janmilitia members, were held, he said.
The two, during interrogation, revealed that they had planted a pipe bomb on the side of the road and were waiting for the security forces to target them, the official said adding "a major tragedy was averted with their arrest."
According to the arrested ultras, local Maoist commander Somdu and his associates Linga and Gundadhur were also present there but their managed to flee inside forest when forces arrived there, he added.
One claymore mine, two pipe bombs, one bundle wire and three kgs of iron splinter were also recovered from their possession, the officer said.