Indian Armed Forces on Tuesday eliminated three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in a counter-terrorism operation, codenamed ‘Operation Keller’, in the Zinpather Keller area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian.
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 with security forces.
The incident assumes significance due to the timing since India and Pakistan, the two warring neighbours, were engaged in a conflict for the past several days, reached a ceasefire deal on Saturday.
Op Sindoor After Pahalgam Attack
The April 22 killing of 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam by armed gunmen triggered worldwide condemnation and marked the first major terror attack in the Valley since 2019.
India avenged the attack with its Armed Forces conducting an airstrike- dubbed as Operation Sindoor- on terrorist hotbeds in multiple locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on May 7.
A fierce military conflict between India and Pakistan ensued after the Pakistani Army launched an attack on India without any provocation.
After India’s befitting response caused major damage to Pakistan’s defence, Islamabad had reached out to New Delhi for a halt to the military operation.
Modi Visits Adampur Airbase
Earlier in the morning, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Punjab’s Adampur airbase and met security personnel.
After his visit, Modi wrote on X: “Earlier this morning, I went to AFS Adampur and met our brave air warriors and soldiers. It was a very special experience to be with those who epitomise courage, determination and fearlessness. India is eternally grateful to our armed forces for everything they do for our nation.”
Modi’s Address On Op Sindoor
In a bold address to the nation, his first one after Operation Sindoor, PM Modi sent out a loud message against terrorism and “terror-backing state” Pakistan, stating that India will not tolerate any such misadventure or give in to nuclear blackmailing, and instead deliver a befitting reply in its own terms.
He started the address by lauding the Indian armed forces for Operation Sindoor and reiterating how the April 22 Pahalgam attack had pained him personally.
“Following the Pahalgam attack, every citizen as well as every political party united to see strong action against this attack. The government had then given full freedom to our armed forces to respond to the terrorist attack,” PM Modi said.
Reiterating that India has zero tolerance against terrorism, Modi said, “Our fight against terrorism is not over. We have just paused our action for now, and we will measure every move taken by Pakistan to deal with them in the future.”
“Operation Sindoor has scripted a new normal that India will give a befitting reply to terrorism if we are attacked. We will strike at those places from where terrorism originates,” he said.
(With inputs from IBNS)
