Security forces neutralise militant in Ganderbal gunfight; ops still on

A militant was killed in an overnight encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, the Army said on Wednesday.

A cordon-and-search operation was launched by security forces on Tuesday night in the Arhama area of Ganderbal district, based on reports of suspicious movement in the region.

Based on specific intelligence, a joint search operation was launched by the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police in the Arhama area of Ganderbal, the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said in a post on X.

Officials said the area is forested, with a cordon in place to prevent any other trapped militants from escaping.

“During the search, vigilant troops observed suspicious activity. On being challenged, terrorists opened fire and our troops retaliated,” the Army said.

The cordon was tactically reorganised amid intermittent firing, the Army wrote, adding that troops effectively retaliated with a calibrated response, eliminating one terrorist.

Officials said the anti-terror operation is ongoing.

Till late Wednesday night, security forces had yet to confirm the slain militant’s identity or his affiliated outfit. Ganderbal district has largely remained free of militancy, with very few gunfights in the area, which also borders the northern Kashmir district of Bandipora. Of late, security forces have deployed to Jammu and Kashmir’s higher reaches to flush out militants hiding in dense forests.

As militancy in Jammu and Kashmir shifts from the Valley floor to mountainous regions, Jammu and Kashmir Police recently formed a special team called “Snow Leopards”, specialised in high-altitude warfare. This team, drawn from the Special Operations Group, the elite anti-terror unit of Jammu and Kashmir Police, has been trained in high-altitude combat.