Terrorist Killed In J&K’s Kulgam as ‘Operation Akhal’ Continues
A terrorist was neutralized by security forces in an ongoing anti-terror operation in the Akhal forest area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Saturday. The gunfight, codenamed ‘Operation Akhal’, began after security forces launched a cordon and search operation based on specific intelligence about the presence of terrorists in the south Kashmir region.
According to a police official, the operation escalated into a fierce encounter after the hiding militants opened fire on the security personnel, who retaliated with calibrated fire. The Indian Army’s Chinar Corps confirmed that one terrorist had been killed so far. “Intermittent and intense firefight continued through the night. Alert troops responded with calibrated fire and tightened the noose while maintaining contact,” the army said in a statement. The cordon has been strengthened with additional forces deployed to the area as the operation continues.
This latest encounter is part of a series of successful anti-terror operations conducted by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir in recent days. Earlier this week, two terrorists were killed near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch district as the army foiled an infiltration bid under ‘Operation Shivshakti’. The gunfight erupted late Tuesday night in the Degwar sector after troops intercepted a group of terrorists attempting to cross the border.
On July 28, in another major success under ‘Operation Mahadev,’ security forces eliminated three Pakistani terrorists in the Lidwas forest on the outskirts of Srinagar. Union Home Minister Amit Shah later confirmed that these three terrorists, identified as Suleiman, Afghan, and Jibran, were senior operatives of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and were behind the deadly April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. Suleiman was identified as the key planner of the attack.
