Top Maoist leader Ganesh Uike, a central committee member of CPI (Maoist) with a bounty of Rs 1.1 crore, was killed along with three other rebels in an encounter with security forces in Odisha's Kandhamal district. Uike, originally from Telangana, was the head of the outfit's operations in Odisha. The operation involved joint teams of the Odisha Police's SOG, CRPF, and BSF. This is considered a significant blow to the Maoist insurgency in the state, with officials highlighting it as a milestone in efforts to eradicate Left-Wing Extremism by 2026.