Odisha Maoist Leader with ₹1.1 Crore Bounty Killed in Encounter, 5 Rebels Also Neutralized

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In a significant blow to Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in India, security forces have killed a top Maoist leader with a ₹1.1 crore bounty, along with five other rebels, in separate encounters in Odisha's Kandhamal and Ganjam districts.On Thursday, a joint team of the Odisha Police, CRPF, and BSF launched operations in the dense forests of Kandhamal and Ganjam districts, resulting in the deaths of six Maoists, including Ganesh Uike, a member of the Maoist central committee. Uike, who was responsible for planning and coordinating armed activities across multiple zones, carried multiple aliases and had set up his base in Kandhamal district. Uike's death marks the 11th central committee member to be killed this year, leaving the key decision-making body with only five members. He had taken charge of Maoist operations in Odisha in December 2024 and had previously headed rebel cadres in the Karnataka-Kerala-Tamil Nadu region. The security forces' success is seen as a significant milestone in their efforts to combat LWE in the country. Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the forces on the operation, saying that the government is committed to ending LWE by March 31 of the coming year. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also congratulated the forces on the successful operation. This year, security forces across several states, including Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha, have neutralized at least 270 Maoists, secured the surrender of at least 1,225, and arrested 680, including top leaders. The Kandhamal gunfight is part of a broader government offensive against Maoists, which also includes the construction of roads and the rollout of development projects in areas once affected by LWE.