Bhubaneswar, Aug. 15 -- Security forces eliminated 27 "hardcore Maoists", and 78 surrendered in Odisha before the March 31 deadline for a Naxal-free India, Additional Director General (ADG) Anti-Naxal Operations Sanjeeb Panda said on Saturday.

ADG Panda claimed that Odisha achieved the target of becoming free from Naxal violence before the March 31 deadline.

He credited the joint efforts of the State's Special Operations Group (SOG), Special Intelligence Wing (SIW), CRPF and BSF for achieving the target.

"As you know, the Union Home Minister had assigned the target to all the states to get the state free of Naxal violence by 31 March 2026. In Odisha, with the cooperation of SOG, SIW, CRPF, and BSF, we achieved the target before 31 Marc...