THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Kandhamal, Dec 25: Four Maoists (Naxalites), including top leader and Central Committee member Ganesh Uikey, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Odisha’s Kandhamal district, police said on Thursday.
Police said Ganesh Uikey was the head of the Maoist organisation in Odisha and had been wanted for a long time. The government had announced a reward of ₹1.1 crore on him.
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An officer leading anti-Maoist operations said security forces received specific intelligence about the presence of four Maoists in a forest area, following which a search operation was launched. As the forces moved in, the Maoists opened fire on the team.
Security personnel retaliated, leading to a gunfight in which all four Maoists were killed. Ganesh Uikey was among those neutralised in the encounter.
The identities of the other three Maoists, including two women, are yet to be established.
