Odisha Declares Bolangir, Bargarh 'Naxal-Free' After 15 Maoists Surrender

• Odisha Police declared Bolangir and Bargarh districts Naxal-free after 15 Maoists surrendered in Chhattisgarh.
• This brings the total number of Naxal-free districts in Odisha to seven, including Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Koraput, Malkangiri, and Boudh.
• The surrendered cadres were active in the Bargarh–Bolangir–Mahasamund division, making the Gandhamardan hills peaceful.
• Sustained joint operations, precise intelligence, and coordinated efforts by security forces and locals led to this achievement.
• Around 25 Maoists are believed to remain active in the state, mostly in splinter groups in Kandhamal district.