Operation Keller: Indian Army releases photos of weapons seized from three LeT terrorists in Shopian encounter

Three LeT terrorists, including a top commander, were killed in an encounter in Shopian’s Keller forest as the Indian Army released images of recovered AK-series rifles and ammunition.

Operation Keller

Image Credit: Indian Army/X

In a major anti-terror operation in South Kashmir, three terrorists affiliated with the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)/The Resistance Front (TRF) were gunned down in the dense Shukroo forest area of Keller, Shopian district on Tuesday. The Indian Army on Wednesday released photos of the sophisticated arms and ammunition recovered from the encounter site, including AK-series rifles, grenades, and a large cache of war-like stores.

The joint operation, conducted by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the CRPF, was launched following actionable intelligence on the presence of terrorists in the region. The operation led to the killing of three "hardcore terrorists," one of whom was a local commander of LeT/TRF.

Photos released by the Army show high-powered AK-series rifles, several magazines, grenades, and bulk ammunition recovered from the encounter site.

“The success of this operation is the result of an excellent synergy between all Security Forces and Intelligence Agencies. #IndianArmy remains unwavering in its mission to eliminate terror. Every attempt to disrupt peace will be met with decisive and unrelenting force,” the Indian Army wrote on X on Wednesday.

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According to official sources, the terrorists were encountered around 8:00 am after a massive cordon-and-search operation was initiated based on specific inputs.

Who Were the Killed Terrorists? 

Sources have confirmed the identities of two of the slain terrorists. One of them, Shahid Kuttay, a resident of Chotipora Heerpora in Shopian, was a Category A LeT operative. He had joined the outfit on March 8, 2023, and was involved in several high-profile attacks including the April 8, 2024 firing at the Danish Resort in Srinagar, which left two German tourists and a driver injured.

Kuttay was also involved in the killing of a BJP Sarpanch in Heerpora on May 18, 2024, and was suspected to be behind the killing of a Territorial Army personnel at Behibagh in Kulgam on February 3, 2025.

The second terrorist, identified as Adnan Shafi Dar of Wanduna Melhora in Shopian, was a Category C LeT operative. He had joined the group on October 18, 2024, and was involved in the killing of non-local labourers at Wachi in Shopian on the same day.

The identity of the third terrorist is yet to be ascertained.

The Shopian encounter comes days after Operation Sindoor, where Indian airstrikes reportedly eliminated nearly 100 terror operatives in Pakistan. Strategic targets included Jaish-e-Mohammed’s headquarters in Bahawalpur and Lashkar’s training camp in Muridke.

Operation Keller is being seen as a continuation of India’s intensified crackdown on terror networks operating both within and across the border.