Overview
- Police said two encounters across December 24–25 in Kandhamal left six CPI (Maoist) cadres dead with no casualties among security forces.
- A December 25 sweep by 23 teams from SOG, CRPF and BSF in the Chakapad–Rambha forest area resulted in four deaths, including Central Committee member Ganesh Uike.
- Search teams recovered two INSAS rifles and a .303 rifle from the Chakapad sites, with the four bodies found in uniform identified as two men and two women.
- A separate December 24 gunfight in Gumma forest killed Bari alias Rakesh and Amrit, who together carried rewards of ₹23.65 lakh, with a revolver, a .303 rifle and a walkie‑talkie seized.
- Uike, who led Maoist operations in Odisha and carried a reward of about ₹1.1 crore, was identified by police as forces intensified combing operations and leaders hailed the outcome while noting senior figure Devuji remains at large.