A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant, allegedly involved in the October attack near a tunnel construction site in Gagangir, Jammu and Kashmir, was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Dachigam forest area on Tuesday, officials said.
According to police, the militant, identified as Junaid Ahmed Bhat, was a category “A” operative of the group. He was wanted for his alleged involvement in the October 20 attack that claimed the lives of a local doctor and six non-local laborers in Ganderbal.
Security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the upper reaches of Dachigam late Monday night based on specific intelligence inputs.
The operation escalated into a gunfight when militants opened fire at the search party. In the ensuing exchange of fire early Tuesday, Bhat was killed, officials said.
“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 killings at Gagangir, Ganderbal, and several other terror attacks,” the Kashmir Zone Police posted on X.
The operation continues in the dense forest area of Dachigam, a national park on Srinagar’s outskirts covering approximately 141 square kilometers.