Srinagar, Jul 4 (PTI): The Army on Saturday launched a major counter-terrorist operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district after two local terrorists belonging to the banned outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba were cornered in a dense orchard, officials said on Saturday.
The operation was launched on Friday afternoon after the two terrorists were spotted by an Army camera installed in the orchard in the Meemandar area, which comprises seven villages.
A joint team of several columns of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) laid a tight cordon around the area and cleared four villages by the evening.
The two trapped terrorists have been identified as Latif and Zakir. They opened fire on the approaching Army personnel who effectively retaliated, triggering a gunfight, the officials said.
Officials said the Army’s specialised counter-insurgency unit, the Victor Force, has deployed additional personnel to plug all the possible escape routes through the thick foliage of the orchard, besides lighting up the area.
During the summer months, the heavy foliage offers a natural cover, making surveillance difficult and allowing trapped terrorists to exploit the blind spots to break the cordons.
According to security records, both the trapped terrorists are residents of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. While Zakir is reportedly associated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) since 2024, Latif joined the LeT ranks last year.
Shopian has historically served as a critical transit corridor connecting south Kashmir to central Kashmir and the Pir Panjal range.
Officials said that while foreign terrorists have increasingly been used for attacks, containing local operatives like Latif and Zakir remains vital to disrupting the logistics networks and breaking the cycle of local recruitment.
The operation was ongoing and the forces were repeatedly asking the two to surrender. PTI SSB MIJ SKL ARI
(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)
