The encounter that resulted in Hidma’s death marked one of the most significant counter-insurgency operations in the recent past.

Long considered the mastermind behind several of the deadliest Maoists attacks, Hidma’s operational acumen was unmatched within the organisation. Many in the security grid believe that with his loss, the Maoists have been reduced from a coordinated force to scattered clusters operating without unified command.

Devuji, now in his mid-sixties, represents the last generation of the classical Maoist ideologues, who joined the movement when it was politically charged and organisationally rigid. Though, once a key figure across multiple committees, he now remains as just a figurehead, the officials said.

He struggles with limited mobility and remains confined to narrow forested zones and the intelligence suggests he plays more of a spiritual-ideological role for cadres, who still view him as a link to the movement’s origins, but he no longer directs meaningful operations, they added.

Ukey, who rose in the ranks as an administrator, was responsible for communication channels, logistics and finances across key formations, but with him living underground for years have taken a toll, the officials said, adding that his shrinking mobility has severely restricted the Maoists’ ability to coordinate or sustain field activities.