Militants killed in Shopian behind recent terror activities: Army

A day after a gunbattle in Shopian district resulted in the deaths of three terrorists, the Army has said the slain individuals were involved in “recent terror activities” in the region.

The three terrorists — Shahid Kuttay, Adnan Shafi Dar, and Ehsan ul Haq Sheikh, all affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and residents of Shopian district — were killed in the encounter on Tuesday. According to officials, Kuttay was a top LeT commander and categorized as an A terrorist. Security forces use a categorisation system ranging from A (most dangerous) to C.

The encounter, first since Pahalgam attack, occurred amidst intensified search operations across the forests of South Kashmir to locate those responsible for the earlier attack. On Wednesday, the Army affirmed the “three were actively involved in recent terror activities in the region.”

“Recoveries from the operation include AK series rifles, large quantities of ammunition, grenades and other war-like stores,” the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps posted on X.

The Army attributed the operation’s success to synergy between all security forces and intelligence agencies.