One TRF terrorist was killed and two others remain trapped in an ongoing gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, officials said on Friday.
The encounter is part of Operation Akhal, launched following intelligence inputs about terrorists linked to the recent Pahalgam attack.
According to the Chinar Corps, the gunfight broke out in the Akhal forest area when terrorists opened fire on security personnel during a search operation. The terrorists are affiliated with The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), officials confirmed.
A joint team comprising the Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jammu and Kashmir Police launched the operation after receiving inputs about terrorist movements in the region.
Security officials believe the remaining two militants are hiding inside the Dachigam National Park near Srinagar. The area has been cordoned off and the operation to neutralise them has been intensified.
This fresh gunfight follows closely on the heels of Operation Mahadev, during which three Pakistani TRF terrorists were eliminated.
Among those killed was top Lashkar commander Suleiman Shah, also known as Musa Fauji, who was identified as the key conspirator behind the Pahalgam attack. Security forces recovered a significant cache of arms from their hideout, including 17 grenades, an M4 carbine and two AK-47 rifles.
Intelligence inputs suggest that five TRF terrorists were active in the region. With three killed during Operation Mahadev and one more neutralised on Friday in Operation Akhal, one terrorist is believed to be still at large.
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