Security forces killed three terrorists in a fierce encounter that began early Thursday in Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir.
Identities and terror group affiliations of the neutralised terrorists are yet to be confirmed.
The gun battle erupted after the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a joint operation in the Nader and Tral areas of Awantipora, a sub-district of Pulwama in south Kashmir.
The terrorists were reportedly hiding inside a residential house and were quickly neutralised.
“Three terrorists have been neutralised in the Tral encounter. Identification and affiliation being ascertained. Search operation in progress. Further details shall follow,” the Kashmir Zone Police posted on X.
This marks the second major encounter in 48 hours.
Operation Keller
Earlier, on Tuesday (May 13), three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were eliminated during an encounter in the Shopian district. The operation began in Kulgam and moved to a forested area in Shopian after security forces acted on intelligence inputs.
According to reports, Shahid Kuttay, the chief of LeT’s proxy outfit The Resistance Front (TRF), the terrorist group behind the Pahalgam attack, was killed in the Shopian encounter.
The Indian Army posted on X: “On 13 May 2025, based on specific intelligence from a Rashtriya Rifles Unit about terrorists in Shoekal Keller, Shopian, the Indian Army launched a search and destroy operation. The terrorists opened heavy fire, resulting in a fierce firefight and the elimination of three hardcore terrorists. Operation is ongoing.”
Counter-Terror Ops Intensified
Operations have intensified across Jammu and Kashmir following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which left 26 civilians, all men and mostly Hindu tourists, dead.
In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). This heightened tensions, sparking strikes and counter-strikes between the two countries.
On May 10, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire, halting all military actions on land, air, and sea from 5 pm. However, Pakistan violated the ceasefire within hours of its implementation.
(With inputs from IBNS)
