Terrorist Gunned Down In Encounter In J&K’s Kulgam, Army Confirms ‘Operation Akhal’ In Progress
One terrorist was killed in a confrontation with security personnel during an ongoing counter-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, officials confirmed on Saturday.
The encounter occurred after security forces initiated a cordon-and-search operation in the Akhal forest area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, acting on precise intelligence inputs about terrorist movement, a police officer informed.
“Intense and intermittent exchange of fire continued through the night. Alert troops retaliated with measured fire and further tightened the cordon while maintaining contact. So far, one terrorist has been eliminated,” the Chinar Corps of the Indian Army said in its latest update on Operation Akhal.
Security forces had begun a combing operation in the forest zone of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district after receiving inputs indicating the presence of militants in the area.
The situation escalated into a firefight when the hiding terrorists opened fire, prompting a swift response from the security forces. “The perimeter is being reinforced, with more troops deployed in the area,” the official added.
This incident follows another recent encounter along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu’s Poonch district, where two terrorists were neutralised by security personnel after they attempted to infiltrate Indian territory.
The operation began late on Tuesday night in the Kalsian-Gulpur area of the Degwar sector, after the Indian Army intercepted a group of two to three terrorists trying to cross the LoC.
“OPERATION SHIVSHAKTI: In a successful anti-infiltration effort, vigilant soldiers of the Indian Army eliminated two terrorists attempting to breach the Line of Control,” the army said in an official statement.
Separately, under Operation Mahadev, Indian forces on July 28 neutralised three Pakistani terrorists in the Lidwas forest near Harwan, located on the outskirts of Srinagar.
As per Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the three terrorists were responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Shah identified one of the terrorists as Suleiman, believed to be the chief mastermind behind the assault.
The other two were named Afghan and Jibran, both high-ranking operatives of the Pakistan-based banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Their identities were later confirmed by suspects already in NIA custody for providing them logistical support and shelter.
