Top Maoist leader Paka Hanumanthu killed in Odisha encounter
Big news from Odisha: security forces have taken down Paka Hanumanthu, a top Maoist leader with a ₹1 crore bounty, along with five others in a major encounter on Thursday.
The Union Home Ministry called the development a "significant milestone toward Naxal-free Bharat."
Hanumanthu was known for his role in several violent attacks and came from Telangana's Nalgonda district.
How the operation went down
The action happened in Kandhamal district after police got a tip-off about Hanumanthu's location.
Teams from the Special Operations Group, CRPF, and BSF moved in and exchanged gunfire with the group, recovering two INSAS rifles at the site.
Odisha's police chief said this is a major win for security forces. Hanumanthu was believed to be behind high-profile attacks like the 2013 Jhirham Ghati incident.
Meanwhile, operations are still ongoing to track down other top Maoist leaders as authorities push to end these activities for good.