Three Lashkar militants killed in Shopian behind recent attacks: Army

SRINAGAR — A day after three militants affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba and its shadow outfit “The Resistance Front” were killed in a gunfight in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, the Army said the trio were actively involved in recent militant activities in the region.

The militants — Shahid Kuttay, Adnan Shafi Dar, and Ehsan-ul-Haq Sheikh — all residents of Shopian, were killed during an encounter in the upper reaches of Keller on Tuesday. Officials identified Kuttay as the operational commander of LeT in South Kashmir.

According to the Army, the operation was launched based on intelligence inputs regarding the presence of militants in the Keller forest. A joint team of the Army, J&K Police, and CRPF was involved in the operation, which culminated in the elimination of the three “hardcore terrorists”, including the LeT/TRF commander.

“The three were actively involved in recent terror activities in the region. Recoveries from the operation include AK series rifles, a large quantity of ammunition, grenades and other war-like stores,” the Army said in a statement.

It added that the operation was a result of excellent coordination between security forces and intelligence agencies.

Reaffirming its commitment, the Army stated, “We remain unwavering in our mission to eliminate terrorism. Every attempt to disturb peace will be met with decisive and unrelenting force.”

Defence officials said that in the wake of the Pahalgam massacre, security forces have significantly intensified operations against LeT and other militant outfits. Vulnerable routes and areas in South Kashmir have been re-dominated and put under heightened surveillance.

“For the past several days, we had continuous inputs about terrorist movement in Shopian. On the night of May 12, their presence was confirmed in the upper reaches of Keller,” a defence official said.

A joint operation was swiftly initiated, and on the morning of May 13, around 9 AM, troops spotted movement of three armed militants.

“When challenged, they opened indiscriminate fire. Our troops retaliated effectively, resulting in the neutralisation of all three,” the official said, adding the trio were responsible for multiple militant incidents in the region.