Indian security forces have achieved a significant breakthrough in their ongoing counterinsurgency operations with the elimination of senior Maoist commander Ganesh Uike during a tactical raid in eastern Odisha state. The operation, conducted on Thursday in Kandhamal district, resulted in four rebel casualties including Uike who carried a substantial bounty of $120,000 on his head.
According to Odisha police authorities, the operation was launched following specific intelligence regarding Uike’s whereabouts. The 69-year-old rebel leader, who commanded Maoist operations in the coastal region, was killed alongside three associates—two female combatants and one male fighter—during an exchange of gunfire. State police official Yogesh Bahadur Khurania confirmed the identities were being verified while noting no security personnel casualties occurred.
This engagement represents the latest success in New Delhi’s comprehensive campaign to eradicate the decades-long Maoist insurgency by March 2026. Just one day prior to this operation, security forces had neutralized two additional rebels in the same region, demonstrating the intensified tempo of counterinsurgency activities.
The Naxalite movement, which originated nearly sixty years ago in the Himalayan foothills, once exerted control over approximately one-third of Indian territory with an estimated fighting force of 15,000-20,000 personnel during its mid-2000s peak. However, government statistics indicate over 500 Maoist combatants have been eliminated since 2024 alone, signaling the rebellion’s substantial degradation in recent years amid sustained security pressure.