India's terror crackdown continues: 3 Jaish terrorists killed in J&K's Tral encounter

Three Pakistan-backed terrorists were killed in an encounter in Tral, days after security forces eliminated three Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives in Shopian, South Kashmir.

In a significant success for security forces, three terrorists affiliated with the Pakistan-backed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) were killed in an early morning encounter on Thursday in Tral area of Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir.

The operation, jointly launched by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the CRPF, marks the second major anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir within 48 hours.

According to unconfirmed reports, the three terrorists eliminated are Asif Ahmed Sheikh, Amir Nazir Wani, and Yawar Ahmad Bhat - all residents of Pulwama district. An official confirmation on the same from the forces is awaited.

Tral Encounter Two Days After Shopian Success

This encounter closely follows another major anti-terror operation conducted on Tuesday in the Keller area of Shopian, where three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives were gunned down by security forces in the Shukroo forest zone.

According to official sources, two of the three Lashkar terrorists killed in Shopian were identified as Shahid Kuttay, son of Mohd Yousuf Kuttay of Chotipora Heerpora, and Adnan Shafi Dar, son of Mohd Shafi Dar of Wanduna Melhora, both residents of Shopian.

Kuttay, a Category A LeT terrorist who joined the outfit in March 2023, was involved in multiple terror acts. These included the April 8, 2024, attack on German tourists at the Danish Resort in Srinagar and the targeted killing of a BJP sarpanch in Heerpora on May 18, 2024. He was also suspected in the killing of a Territorial Army personnel in Kulgam on February 3, 2025.

Adnan Shafi, who joined Lashkar in October 2024 and was categorized as a Category C operative, had a direct role in the murder of non-local labourers in Wachi, Shopian, on the same day he joined the outfit.

The third LeT terrorist killed in the Shopian encounter is yet to be identified. Security forces recovered three AK-47 rifles and other arms and ammunition from the site.

These back-to-back successful operations signal an intensified crackdown on terror groups operating in the Valley, particularly on foreign-sponsored outfits such as JeM and LeT, ahead of the peak infiltration season in the region.