Lashkar Terrorist Killed in Shopian Encounter, Two Others Trapped
A Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist was gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Shopian’s Zinpather Keller area on Tuesday, with two more militants reportedly trapped.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation early Tuesday in the Zinpather Keller region of Shopian, Jammu and Kashmir, after receiving intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists. During the operation, an exchange of fire broke out, resulting in the death of one Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative. Two others are believed to be holed up, with gunfire continuing in the area.
The identity of the slain terrorist has not yet been officially released.
Sources told that the operation is being jointly conducted by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and CRPF units. Additional reinforcements have been deployed to the area.
The encounter coincided with a major push by security agencies to flush out Pakistan-backed militants operating in the region. Posters branding three terrorists — Adil Hussain Thoker, Ali Bhai, and Hashim Musa — as wanted were plastered across Shopian under the campaign “Terror Free Kashmir.”
Each poster carries a reward of ₹20 lakh for credible information leading to their capture or elimination.
These individuals are believed to be responsible for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 dead. Officials believe the encounter in Shopian could be directly linked to efforts to neutralize this module.
Authorities intensified counterterrorism operations after the deadly Pahalgam attack. On April 25, the residence of Adil Hussain Thoker in Bijbehara was demolished using IEDs. Thoker had crossed into Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border in 2018 and reportedly infiltrated back into Kashmir in 2024 to support terror activities.
The crackdown is part of India’s broader response to cross-border terrorism, including the recently launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied areas.
In his first address since the Pahalgam attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday stated that India had only “paused” its military response, cautioning that further provocation from across the border would invite a much stronger retaliation.
“India will not tolerate another terror attack. Any future provocation will be met with a response stronger than before,” the Prime Minister said during a televised speech.
