Security forces on Tuesday killed a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, allegedly involved in an attack near a tunnel construction site in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal in October this year, in an encounter in the Dachigam forest area in Srinagar, officials said. The deceased militant has been identified as Junaid Ahmed Bhat.
J&K Encounter: Army Kills Category 'A' LeT Militant Involved In October Ganderbal Attack
This encounter comes after a grenade attack on November 3 in a bustling market near Lal Chowk in the heart of Srinagar, which resulted in the death of a woman and injuries to 11 others.
According to PTI, Bhat is known as a category "A" terrorist of the militant outfit. The October 20 attack a local doctor and six non-local labourers were killed.
The Chinar Corps of the army, in a post on X, said, "On 02 Dec 2024, based on specific intelligence input, a joint operation was launched by the Indian Army and Jammu & Kashmir Police at the upper reaches of Dachigam Forest, Srinagar. During the search, initial contact was established."
Based on specific intelligence inputs, security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the upper reaches of Dachigam on Monday night, the officials said. Dachigam, a national park located on the outskirts of Srinagar, spans an area of around 141 square kilometers.
The search operation turned into a gunfight after terrorists fired at a search party of the security forces who retaliated. In the exchange of fire on Tuesday morning, a terrorist identified as Junaid Ahmed Bhat, was killed, the officials said.
This incident comes after a grenade attack on November 3 in a bustling market near Lal Chowk in the heart of Srinagar, which resulted in the death of a woman and injuries to 11 others. This was the first grenade attack in the city in two years and occurred a day after an encounter in the nearby Khanyar locality.
Authorities have stated that the militants involved in the attack are linked to the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Though this was the first grenade attack in two years, it is part of a series of militant incidents reported in Jammu and Kashmir in recent months. More than 40 militancy-related incidents have occurred in the region so far in 2024, with new militant groups emerging.
Show comments