Srinagar: A terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Korag area of Yusmarg in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Army said on Tuesday.
The operation was launched jointly by the Indian Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area.
According to the Army’s Chinar Corps, troops detected suspicious movement during the search operation. When the suspected terrorists were challenged, they opened fire, triggering an exchange of gunfire in which one terrorist was neutralised.
The Army has not officially released the identity of the slain terrorist. Officials and security sources have linked the operation to a hunt for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives operating in the Pir Panjal region.
The encounter comes amid intensified security operations across the forested areas connecting Yusmarg in central Kashmir with Poonch. Security agencies have been tracking terrorist movement through the dense Pir Panjal forests, which have been used as transit routes between the Jammu and Kashmir regions.
Earlier this month, another LeT terrorist was killed in an encounter in the upper reaches of Yusmarg after a joint operation by security forces. Reports said the operation was part of a prolonged hunt for terrorists involved in attacks in the Pir Panjal region.
Search operations in the area have continued following the latest encounter as security forces assess whether other terrorists remain in the surrounding forests.
