Search on for 2 LeT terrorists in Shopian after brief encounter

A massive search operation continued in Shopian on Sunday after a brief exchange of fire late Saturday night following specific technical inputs about the presence of two terrorists. No trace of the ultras had been found till Sunday evening.

The two terrorists are believed to be affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and were reportedly hiding in orchards in the district. Security forces received CCTV footage showing the movement of the suspected terrorists, following which a cordon was laid to prevent their escape.

Searches resumed on Sunday morning in the Meemandar area, comprising several villages, to trace the militants.

A joint team of the Army, J&K Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) maintained the cordon and continued the search operation. Some reports identified the trapped terrorists as Latif and Zakir, though there was no official confirmation. According to reports, the terrorists opened fire after spotting the advancing security forces, triggering a brief encounter.

The Army is also reported to have deployed its specialised counter-insurgency formation, Victor Force, to seal possible escape routes through the dense orchard foliage. During the summer months, thick foliage provides natural cover, making surveillance difficult and enabling trapped terrorists to exploit blind spots to breach security cordons.

Shopian has long served as a transit corridor for terrorists infiltrating into the Kashmir Valley from the Rajouri and Poonch sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu division. Many infiltrators use this route to move into the Valley for carrying out terror activities.