Daijiworld Media Network – Srinagar

Srinagar, Aug 2: A terrorist was gunned down by security forces in an ongoing encounter in the Akhal forest area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, the Army said on Friday.

The encounter began late Thursday evening after security forces launched a search operation based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area. When the troops approached the suspected location, they came under heavy fire, prompting a retaliatory operation.

"Intermittent and intense firefight continued through the night. Alert troops responded with calibrated fire and tightened the noose while maintaining contact. One terrorist has been neutralised by the security forces so far. Operation Akhal continues," the Army’s Chinar Corps said in a post on X this morning.

This latest encounter comes just days after the Army eliminated three terrorists, including the mastermind of the deadly April 22 Pahalgam attack, during ‘Operation Mahadev’ in Harwan, near Dachigam National Park. Those killed included Sulieman alias Asif, believed to be the key conspirator, along with Jibran, involved in last year’s Sonamarg Tunnel attack, and Hamza Afghani.

In the April 22 terror strike, 26 civilians — mostly tourists — were killed at the Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam, prompting the launch of ‘Operation Sindoor’ against Pakistan-based terror infrastructure.

Meanwhile, two more infiltrators were neutralised near the Line of Control in Poonch on Thursday. Police confirmed the duo had crossed over from Pakistan and were intercepted shortly after entering Indian territory.