Ranchi, Sep 8 - Three Maoist rebels, including a senior commander, were arrested after a gun battle lasting over two and a half hours on the outskirts of Ranchi Tuesday, police said.

According to police, three members of the Jharkhand Prastuti Committee (JPC), including commander Raj Kumar Ganju, were arrested from Churugarha village, around 55 km from Ranchi.

Police, acting on a tip-off, raided the village and asked the rebels to surrender but the rebels opened fire at them.

The gun battle between policemen and JPC rebels took place for nearly two and a half hours before police succeeded in capturing them.

Police officials have termed Ganju's arrest a 'big catch' and a major setback for the JPC.

Maoist guerrillas are active in 18 of the 24 districts of Jharkhand. Nearly 1,550 people have been killed in Maoist-related violence in the last eight years.