A Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Wednesday. The slain terrorist, identified as Zakir Ahmad Ganie, was a top commander of the proscribed outfit, led by India's most wanted terrorist Hafiz Saeed.
A resident of the Kulgam district, Ganie had been missing since September 27, 2023, after which he had reportedly joined terrorist ranks.
Confirming the incident, Jammu and Kashmir police said in a post on X: "You Can Run, But You Can't Hide!."
The terrorist was neutralised in a joint operation by the Shopian Special Operations Group (SOG), Rashriya Rifles (RR) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) along with the Jammu and Kashmir police.
The encounter was part of an anti-terror operation launched on July 3 based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in Saidapora village. The operation was carried out in a dense orchard in Meemandar, south Kashmir, where two terrorists were spotted by surveillance cameras.
Officials identified the trapped terrorists as Latif and Ganie. During the ensuing search operation, the terrorists allegedly opened fire on the Army personnel, which triggered a brief exchange of fire. After the operation, the body of one terrorist was recovered from the area. Latif's death has not been confirmed.
Victor Force, the Army’s counter-insurgency unit, illuminated the area and deployed personnel around the orchard to block all possible escape routes. The dense summer vegetation provided natural cover, which made surveillance difficult and allowed terrorists to easily find blind spots.
Arms and ammunition were recovered from the encouner site. Tight security is still being maintained around the area as the sanitisation operations continue to ensure that no other terrorists are hiding in the area.
Officials said more information about the weapons and other mission updates will be shared once the operations are fully concluded.
