1. 6 Naxalites, including top leader Ganesh Uike, neutralised in Odisha operation

Maoist Central Committee member Ganesh Uike and five other Naxalites have been neutralised in a major operation in the forests of Kandhamal district in Odisha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday. In a message posted on X, Shah termed the operation a “significant milestone towards a Naxal-free Bharat”.

“In a major operation in Kandhamal, Odisha, six Naxalites, including Central Committee Member Ganesh Uike, have been neutralised so far. With this breakthrough, Odisha stands at the threshold of becoming completely free from Naxalism. We are resolved to eliminate Naxalism before March 31, 2026,” he said.

2. Indian Army issues policy on social media use for soldiers

The Indian Army has issued a policy governing the use of social media by its soldiers. According to a report by ANI, the policy was issued on December 25. Under the guidelines, soldiers are permitted to share only unclassified information with known persons on platforms such as Skype, WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal.

For platforms such as Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Quora, soldiers are allowed to participate only to gain knowledge and are barred from uploading content. On LinkedIn, personnel may upload resumes and seek information related to potential employers and employees.

3. US conducts airstrikes in Nigeria

US President Donald Trump said on December 25 that American forces carried out what he described as “numerous” and “deadly” airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) terrorists in Nigeria, accusing the group of targeting and killing Christians in the region.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the strikes were conducted on his orders and targeted IS terrorists operating in northwest Nigeria. “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in northwest Nigeria,” he wrote.

4. US F-35 fleet suffers low availability rates: Dept of Defense

The US Armed Forces’ fleets of F-35 fifth-generation fighter aircraft operated by the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy continue to suffer from low availability rates, according to the latest report by the Defense Department’s Office of the Inspector General. Published on December 19, the report said aircraft availability remained at just 50 per cent.

The report noted that the aircraft were unavailable to fly nearly half the time due to maintenance issues and failed to meet minimum service requirements. Despite this, the Pentagon paid the aircraft’s primary contractor, Lockheed Martin, $1.7 billion without any economic adjustment. The report stated that the Pentagon “did not consistently hold Lockheed Martin accountable for poor performance related to F-35 sustainment,” according to The Military Watch Magazine.

5. Japan Cabinet approves record defence budget

Japan’s Cabinet on Friday approved a record defence budget exceeding 9 trillion yen ($58 billion) for the coming year, aimed at strengthening strike-back capabilities and coastal defence through cruise missiles and unmanned systems, according to a report by the Economic Times.

The draft budget for fiscal 2026, beginning in April, represents a 9.4 per cent increase from 2025 and marks the fourth year of Japan’s five-year plan to double annual defence spending to 2% of GDP. The increase comes amid heightened regional tensions, particularly with China. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in November that Japan’s military could become involved if China were to take action against Taiwan. 

Chakra Desk

Chakra News is a specialised digital media platform committed to in-depth coverage of India’s defence, national security, geopolitics, and critical technologies.