'A' category Lashkar terrorist Junaid Ahmed Bhat, involved in Gagangir attack in October, killed in Srinagar

A Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, believed to be involved in an attack near a tunnel construction site in Gagangir, Jammu and Kashmir, in October, was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Dachigam forest area on Tuesday, officials reported.

Acting on reliable intelligence, security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the higher reaches of Dachigam on Monday night. The operation escalated into a gunfight when terrorists opened fire on the search party, prompting a retaliatory response from the forces. Early on Tuesday, a terrorist identified as Junaid Ahmed Bhat was killed in the ensuing exchange of fire.

Bhat, an "A" category terrorist with Lashkar-e-Taiba, was wanted for his alleged role in the October 20 attack near a tunnel construction site in Gagangir, Ganderbal, which resulted in the deaths of a local doctor and six non-local laborers.

"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.

The police confirmed that a cordon-and-search operation is ongoing in the upper reaches of Dachigam, with further details still awaited.

Dachigam, a national park located on the outskirts of Srinagar, spans an area of approximately 141 square kilometers.