A Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist, Zakir Ahmad Ganaie, was killed in a gunfight with security forces in south Kashmir’s Shopian. His body was recovered three days after the encounter, during a search operation on Wednesday morning. A joint team of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Army, and paramilitary forces conducted the operation.
According to police officials, the joint team launched a cordon and search operation in Channapora village of Shopian on Saturday evening after specific inputs about the presence of terrorists in the village. Ganaie and his associate, Lateed, were captured on a surveillance camera. As the joint team of forces searched the village, the hiding terrorists opened fire, leading to a brief encounter.
Initially, it was believed that the terrorists had escaped when the operation was halted for the night. However, the joint forces resumed their search operation on Wednesday morning, and a few gunshots were heard, after which Ganaie’s body was found in a cowshed in the village. Ganaie was one of only two local terrorists on police records.
The J&K Police posted on X, ‘You can run but you can’t hide! One Lashkar terrorist neutralised by SOG (Special Operation Group of J&K Police) Shopian in a joint operation along with RR (Rashtriya Rifles) and CRPF.’ This is the first gunfight between terrorists and the joint team of forces in the Kashmir Valley this year, and Ganaie is the first terrorist killed this year. The last gunfight in the Valley took place in October last year, when two terrorists were killed in a gunfight in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
Police and the joint team of forces have intensified the search operation as they believe the second terrorist may also be hiding in the area.
