Bhubaneswar, Dec. 25 -- A high-ranking Telugu Maoist commander, Ganesh Uike, was reported killed along with five others, including two women, in a major operation in the forests of Kandhmal, Odisha, in a joint operation between the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Wednesday, December 25.

The encounter took place in the Rambha forest range along the Kandhamal-Ganjam border under the Chakapada police limits.

According to reports, an exchange of bullets started at around 9 am between the armed Maoist group and 20 Special Operations Group (SOG) units of Odisha Police, two CRPF battalions, and a BSF team. Authorities have recovered high-calibre rifles, including two INSAS rifles and a .303 rifle, fro...