operation keller:LeT commander among 3 killed in shopian gunfight

SRINAGAR: Three terrorists. including an operational com-mander of proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian dis-trict of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, officials said.

The gunfight broke out after security forces launched a cor-don and search operation in dense forests of Shukroo Keller area of the south Kashmir dis trict, based on a specific input about the presence of terrorists.

"On 13 May 2025, based on specific intelligence of a Rash-triya Rifles unit, about presence of terrorists in general area Shoekal Keller, Shopian, Indian Army launched a search and destroy Operation. During the operation, terrorists opened heavy fire and fierce firefight ensued, which resulted in elimi nation of three hardcore terror ists," the ADG of public infor-mation, Indian Army, said in a post on X. It added that the operation was in progress.

This was the first major encounter between security for ces and terrorists in close to three weeks in the forests of south Kashmir, where a mas sive combing operation has been underway since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people and mas sively escalated tension between India and Pakistan.

 J&K police officers said all three slain terrorists were affiliated to Le'T and were active in Shopian district. The officers, declining to be named, said two of the slain ultras have been identified as Shahid Ahmad Kutay, 27, and Adnan Shafi Dar,18, both residents of Shopian.

After the Pahalgam attack, security forces had demolished several houses in Kashmir, including those of Kutay and Dar.

Kutay, who was allegedly involved in the killing of a BJP sarpanch in J&K, was acting as operational commander of LeT. officers said. A category-A ter-rorist, Kutay was also suspected to be involved in the killing of a territorial army man in Anant nag carlier this year.

Dar, believed to be Category C terrorist, was suspected to be involved in murder of a non-lo-cal labourer last year in south Kashmir, officers said. The identity of the third terrorist was yet to be ascertained.

Following the April 22 terror attack at the picturesque Bai saran meadow in Pahalgam, army and J&K police launched a massive combing operation in the forests of south Kashmir and Kishtwar district in Jammu division. Police have detained dozens of overground workers across Kashmir Valley for ques-tioning about the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack.