Operation Keller launched on intelligence input,says army
After the killing of three terrorists in Keller forest of Shopian on Tuesday, the army on Wednesday said all local three terrorists were involved in recent terror incidents in Kashmir and said the operation was launched on the specific intelligence inputs.
On Tuesday the army claimed to have killed three local terrorists affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba and it's shadow outfit The Resistance Front (TRF).
The terrorists were identified by police as Shahid Kuttay, Adnan Shafi Dar and Ehsan ul Haq Sheikh of Shopian.
Kuttay and Dar were identified on Tuesday and army identified third as gunned downed terrorist as Sheikh on Wednesday.
Army described Kuttay as the operational commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba who was active in south Kashmir from a long time who was involved in fresh recruitment of cadres in the outfit.
'Based on inputs by intelligence agencies about presence of terrorists in the Keller forest of Shopian district, a joint op Police operation was launched by army, police and CRPF on May 13, resulting in neutralisation of three terrorists, including the local commander of LeT/ TRF after an intense encounter. The three were actively involved in recent terror activities in the region. Recoveries from the operation include AK series rifles, large quantity of ammunition, grenades and other war like stores,' the Army said in a statement on Wednesday and termed the success of this operation result of an excellent synergy between all security forces and intelligence agencies.
This was the first major encounter between security forces and terrorists in close to three weeks in the forests of south Kashmir, where a massive combing operation has been underway since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people and escalated tension between India and Pakistan.
Following the April 22 terror attack at the picturesque Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, army and J&K police launched a massive combing operation in the forests of south Kashmir and Kishtwar district in Jammu division. Police have detained dozens of overground workers across Kashmir Valley for questioning about the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack. Police have already announced a cash reward of ₹20 lakh for providing information about the terrorists whose pictures and sketches were released by security forces last month.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Op Sindoor proves India safe under Modi, says Majhi
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday said Operation Sindoor has proved that India is safe under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Majhi was addressing a function organised to celebrate the first anniversary of Odisha's maiden BJP government. Showering praises on Modi, who was also present on the dais, Majhi said, 'Earlier, people used to say – 'Modi hai to mumkin hai' (it is possible if Modi is there) but today, the entire country is saying 'Modi hai to desh surakshit hai' (the country is safe when Modi is at the helm).' Majhi said Operation Sindoor is not just an Army operation against terrorists, but a hope for the mothers, sisters and daughters of India. 'With Operation Sindoor, a new India has emerged, which will not bow down under any circumstances. This new India will write its own destiny,' the Chief Minister said. Stating that India is reaching new heights of development under Modi's leadership, Majhi said in the last 11 years, every section of the society has progressed. 'Today, India has become the fourth-largest economy in the world, and is soon going to become $5 trillion economy. Extreme poverty in the country has come down from 27.1 per cent to 5.3 per cent. This proves that under your leadership, the country is changing and is moving forward on the path of development at a rapid pace,' he said. Majhi said Odisha is also making progress and the State's initiatives are modelled keeping in mind the four categories mentioned by Modi – the poor, the farmers, women and youth. Majhi said the Odisha government has secured an investment proposal of Rs 17 lakh crore in just two days after Modi's call to the industries during a conclave held earlier this year. 'This was possible only because of the trust of the industrial world in you (Modi),' Majhi added.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Pahalgam probe: In hunt for gunmen, 2 possibilities on radar
New Delhi: The manhunt for the Pahalgam attackers continues with no arrests since the April 22 assault at Baisaran meadow. (PTI) Indian security forces are pursuing two theories about the whereabouts of three terrorists who killed 26 tourists in Kashmir two months ago, with officials divided over whether the attackers remain in hiding or have fled to Pakistan. The manhunt for the Pahalgam attackers continues with no arrests since the April 22 assault at Baisaran meadow, according to three security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Authorities have identified the suspected attackers as Hashim Musa, also known as Suleiman, and Ali Bhai, also called Talha Bhai — both Pakistani nationals — and local operative Adil Hussain Thokker. The government has offered rewards of ₹ 20 lakh for each suspect. Initial eyewitness accounts suggested four to five terrorists could have been involved, though security forces have so far identified these three. Security agencies are split between two assessments of the terrorists' location, the officials said, citing these as based on 'tell-tale signs' and 'intelligence assessments'. The first theory suggests the same group was involved in a May 22 gun battle with security forces in Kishtwar's dense forests, where one army soldier was killed and two others wounded. Officials believe the attackers then fled deeper into the jungle towards the Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban border region and may have crossed into Pakistan. The second assessment holds that the terrorists remain hidden in the Tral ridge area, avoiding electronic communication with Pakistani handlers or local contacts. 'Both theories are based on intelligence assessments and have been discussed in detail by the Army, paramilitary forces and Jammu and Kashmir police,' said one official. 'But there is no definite answer.' Most security officials favour the second theory, citing heavy troop deployment near the border following the attack and continuous satellite surveillance. The National Investigation Agency, which is formally investigating the case, has questioned hundreds of people over two months, including suspected collaborators, pony operators, vendors and tourism workers. Investigators have also examined videos and photographs taken by families at Baisaran that day. Since the April attack, security forces have killed six terrorists in separate encounters across Kashmir, but the Pahalgam attackers remain at large. The Resistance Front, a proxy group for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba organisation, claimed responsibility for the attack. Indian agencies say the group is a front used by Pakistan to avoid international sanctions. As first reported by HT on April 24, intelligence agencies traced the attack's digital communications to safe houses in Muzaffarabad and Karachi, establishing Pakistani involvement in what officials described as similar to the control room-operated 2008 Mumbai attacks. India responded with Operation Sindoor on May 7, bombing nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in pre-dawn strikes that killed at least 100 militants. The operation sparked four days of cross-border fighting involving fighter jets, missiles and artillery. On the night of May 9-10, the Indian Air Force struck targets at 13 Pakistani airbases and military installations before hostilities ended on May 10. Last week, the Financial Action Task Force condemned the Pahalgam attack, saying such operations require significant funding and money transfer capabilities between terrorist supporters. India also raised the attack at a United Nations meeting in Vienna last month, accusing Pakistan-based groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad of orchestrating attacks on Indian soil.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
2016, 2019 strikes paved the way for Op Sindoor: Rajnath
NEW DELHI: Operation Sindoor is the natural progression of the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes in Pakistan, and it was conducted in a manner that forced Islamabad to ask for a ceasefire, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday, articulating India's firm resolve to fight terrorism. Defence minister Rajnath Singh performs yoga on the 11th International Day of Yoga, at Northern Command Headquarters in Udhampur on Saturday. (ANI Photo) 'It was executed in such a way that Pakistan requested for a ceasefire, and only then have we put a pause to the operation. As I have said earlier, Operation Sindoor is not over yet. India is fully prepared to take all kinds of action against terrorism,' Singh said at an International Yoga Day function organised by the army in Udhampur. The army's Northern Command based in Udhampur is the nerve centre of counterterrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir. India launched the operation in the early hours of May 7 and struck terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the Pahalgam terror strike in which 26 people were shot dead. It triggered a four-day military confrontation with Pakistan involving fighter jets, missiles, drones, long-range weapons and heavy artillery before the two sides reached an understanding on stopping all military action on May 10. Singh led the armed forces' yoga day celebrations, with around 2,500 soldiers taking part in the Northern Command event. Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi and Northern Army commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma were present. 'Yoga gives clarity to the people in chaos. It is an art, a science, a philosophy, and spirituality. Those who practice yoga in their daily lives have control over their body and mind. It makes us proactive, not reactive,' he said in his address, describing Operation Sindoor as a shining example of that 'control.' The Indian armed forces showed restraint, balance and precision during the operation, which is a reflection of their inner strength attained by practicing yoga, he said. The operation was a clear message to Pakistan that it will face the consequences for supporting terror activities against India, he said. Pakistan wants to weaken India from within, but it should never forget that just like Major Somnath Sharma, Brigadier Mohammad Usman too sacrificed his life for the unity and integrity of the country, Singh said referring to the bravehearts who fought valiantly during the 1947-48 India-Pakistan war. Sharma and Usman were posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra and the Maha Vir Chakra, respectively --- the country's highest and second highest wartime honours.
