 "An Indian Army soldier looks out from an armoured vehicle on a highway leading to south Kashmir's Pahalgam, in Marhama village, in Kashmir. Reuters")
In a significant escalation in counter-terrorism efforts, three terrorists were killed, and one soldier was injured in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district as “Operation Akhal” stretched into its third day on Sunday (August 3).
The operation, which has already resulted in the death of six terrorists, has put the spotlight on the relentless efforts of security forces to curb militancy in the region.
Operation based on precise intelligence inputs
The operation began on Friday when security forces, acting on precise intelligence inputs, launched a cordon and search operation in the dense Akhal forest area of south Kashmir.
The situation quickly escalated when a group of terrorists, concealed by the forest cover, opened fire on the joint team comprising the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Indian Army, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
An initial exchange of fire ensued, but operations were paused on Friday night due to challenging conditions.
On Saturday, the operation resumed with renewed intensity, resulting in the elimination of three terrorists.
According to reports, these individuals were affiliated with the Resistance Front (TRF), a splinter group of Pakistan-based outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The TRF had previously claimed responsibility for the devastating Pahalgam terror attack, which tragically claimed the lives of “26 civilians.”
As the operation entered its third day, the Akhal forest area reverberated with the sounds of “blasts and firing” throughout the night.
High-tech surveillance systems and elite paramilitary units have been deployed to neutralise the remaining threats. The operation is being closely overseen by the Director General of Police (DGP) and the 15 Corps Commander.
Impact Shorts
View AllThis operation follows a series of successful counter-terrorism missions in the region. Just days earlier, security forces neutralised Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam massacre in “ Operation Mahadev ” near Srinagar’s Dachigam area. On July 29, another operation, dubbed “Shiv Shakti,” resulted in the killing of two additional terrorists by the Indian Army.
Since the April 22 attack , security forces have made significant progress, eliminating approximately “20 high-profile terrorists” in Jammu and Kashmir.