LeT terrorist involved in Gagangir attack in October killed in Srinagar

SRINAGAR: A Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, allegedly involved in an attack near a tunnel construction site in Jammu and Kashmir’s Gagangir in October this year, was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Dachigam forest area here on Tuesday, officials said.

Based on specific intelligence inputs, security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the upper reaches of Dachigam on Monday night, the officials said.

The search operation turned into a gunfight after terrorists fired at a search party of the security forces who retaliated. In the exchange of fire on Tuesday morning, a terrorist identified as Junaid Ahmed Bhat was killed, the officials said.

Bhat, a category “A” terrorist of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, was wanted for his alleged involvement in the October 20 attack near a tunnel construction site in the Gagangir area of Ganderbal in which a local doctor and six non-local labourers were killed, they added.

“OP Dachigam: In the ongoing operation, one terrorist is killed and has been identified as Junaid Ahmed Bhat (LeT, Category A). The said terrorist was involved in civilian killing at Gagangir, Ganderbal, and several other terror attacks,” the Kashmir Zone Police said in a post on X.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, V K Birdi said Bhat was a resident of the Qaimoh area in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.

“Bhat joined terror ranks in July last year and was involved in various terror crimes apart from the Gagangir attack,” the police officer said, adding that Bhat’s killing was a huge achievement for the security forces.

The Kashmir police chief said the search operation was underway in the upper reaches of Dachigam. “It is a vast mountainous and forest area. So, it is taking time,” he added.

Dachigam, a national park located in the Zabarwan range of the Himalayas, reaches the districts of Pulwama and Ganderbal on either side and covers an area of about 141 square kilometres. (PTI)