An encounter broke out between the security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Tuesday, said the police, adding that two terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba have been gunned down in the operation. The encounter started in Shopian's Alshipora after security forces launched an anti-militancy operation following an information about the presence of militants in the area, the police said. Further search is underway, they added. 


The killed terrorists have been identified as Morifat Maqbool and Jazim Farooq alias Abrar belonging to the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, said the Kashmir Additional Director General of Police, and added that Abrar was involved in the killing of late Kashmir Pandit Sanjay Sharma. 


The 40-year-old civilian was shot dead on February 26 this year while he was on his way to a local market in Pulwama. 






Sharma, who worked as a security guard at an ATM was shot in the chest from point-blank range in the Achan area of the south Kashmir district on February 26 morning. 


"Killed terrorists have been identified as Morifat Maqbool & Jazim Farooq @ Abrar of terror outfit LeT. Terrorist Abrar was involved in killing of Kashmiri Pandit late Sanjay Sharma," said the Kashmir ADGP in a post on X. 


Last week on October 4, two terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen were neutralised by security forces in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district. Both the terrorists were identified as Basit Amin Bhat of Frisal and Saqib Ahmad Lone of Hawoora, Kulgam and had a documented history of involvement in various terror-related activities.


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The security forces also recovered incriminating materials, arms, and ammunition, including two AK series rifles, from the encounter site. All seized materials were officially recorded for further investigation purposes. 


This came just two days after another encounter had broken out between the security forces and terrorists on October 2 in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district following a search operation in the forest area of Kalakote.


Broh and Soom forest belt in the Kalakote area were cordoned off by the Army along with the police after receiving information about suspicious movement, as per a PTI report. The search operation turned into an encounter after the terrorists hiding in the area opened fire on the forces in an attempt to break the cordon.