Maoists Tuesday night torched the battery room and other equipment at a mobile phone tower in Odisha's Koraput district, police said Wednesday.

 

 A group of rebels set ablaze the battery room, and other equipment at the cell phone tower near Kalia Atala village, over 600 km from here, Inspector-in-Charge A.K. Mohapatra told IANS.

 

 The tower – located on the outskirts of the village – belongs to Bharti Airtel Ltd., Mohapatra said.  The rebels had torched its battery room and equipment in a similar way in 2009 and 2011.  

 

 Koraput district is considered a Maoist stronghold.