Lashkar Terrorist Killed In Encounter In Jammu And Kashmir's Shopian

Locals said the body is of the local militant who was trapped in the cordon but the forces could not trace him for 4 days.

Police has taken custody of the dead body to ascertain the identity and the circumstances of his death.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

Security forces have achieved a major breakthrough in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, killing top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Zakir Gani after a four-day-long search operation. The Jammu and Kashmir Police confirmed the development through a post on social media, adding that the terrorist's body has been recovered.

Officials said Gani was killed during an encounter with security forces in the Chanapora area of Shopian. The joint operation was launched on Saturday by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Army and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). On Wednesday, security personnel recovered the body of a terrorist from a cowshed in the area.

Weapons, Ammunition Recovered

Officials said weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the encounter site. A senior police officer told GNS that the operation marked a significant success for the security forces.

In a post on its official X handle, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said, "You can run, but you can't hide!" It added that the Special Operations Group (SOG), Shopian, in a joint operation with the Army's 55 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and the CRPF, had eliminated a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist.

Search Operation Continues

According to officials, security personnel heard gunfire from the encounter site during a large-scale search operation and immediately retaliated, leading to a brief exchange of fire.

Security forces also recovered arms and ammunition from the site. Search and sanitisation operations are continuing in the area to ensure that no other terrorists remain hidden there. Officials said another Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, identified as Lateef, who was believed to be with Zakir Gani, is still absconding.