Lashkar commander killed in Shopian anti-terror operation

A self-styled Lashkar-e-Taiba commander was killed in a joint anti-terror operation by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district. The operation, launched on July 3, continued for five days after terrorists were spotted hiding in a dense orchard

Srinagar: A self-styled commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was killed on Wednesday in an anti-terror operation by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district, police said.

Security forces had launched the search operation in a dense orchard in the Meemandar area, comprising seven villages, in the south Kashmir district on July 3.

---

“You Can Run But You Can’t Hide! One Lashkar terrorist neutralised by SOG Shopian in a joint operation along with RR and CRPF,” the J-K Police said in a post on X.

A senior police official identified the slain terrorist as Zakir Ahmad Ganie, a self-styled commander of the proscribed LeT.

Ganie (26), a resident of the Motalhama area in the neighbouring Kulgam district, left his residence on September 27, 2023, for Dialgam to undertake shuttering work but failed to return home, the officials said.

They said after an unsuccessful search by family members, a missing person’s report was lodged at Kulgam police station on October 3, 2023.

Ganie subsequently joined The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the LeT, the officials said.

They said he was named in an FIR registered at Kulgam police station under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Security forces first spotted two terrorists through surveillance cameras on July 3 in the dense orchard in the Meemandar area, officials said.

A joint team of police, the Army’s 55 RR and 44 RR, and the CRPF maintained a tight cordon around the area over the past five days, with intermittent exchanges of fire taking place between the two sides, they said.

The Army’s specialised counter-insurgency unit, Victor Force, deployed additional personnel to seal all possible escape routes through the thick orchard foliage while also lighting up the area.

During the summer months, the heavy foliage offers natural cover, making surveillance difficult and allowing trapped terrorists to exploit blind spots to break the cordon, they said.

Shopian has historically served as a key transit corridor connecting south Kashmir with central Kashmir and the Pir Panjal range.

Apart from Ganie, the other trapped terrorist was believed to be Latif, who joined the outfit last year.