Operation Keller: Huge arms haul recovered in J&K's Shopian after elimination of 3 LeT terrorists - All you need to know

NEW DELHI: A day after eliminating three
Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT) terrorists in a fierce encounter, security forces on Wednesday recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition in Jammu and Kashmir's
Shopian
district.
The weapons, comprising AK-series rifles, grenades, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, were found in the dense forests of Shoekal Keller, where the terrorists had been hiding before the confrontation.
The recovery followed a joint
counterterrorism operation
led by the
Indian Army
, CRPF, and J&K Police under,
Operation Keller
.
Acting on intelligence inputs received by the Rashtriya Rifles, security forces launched a swift cordon and search mission in the upper reaches of Shopian, approximately 80 km from Srinagar.
On Tuesday, three militants affiliated with the Pakistan-backed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba were gunned down after a brief but intense firefight. Among the dead were two local youths from Shopian, Shahid Kuttay and Adnan Shafi Dar, whose family homes were demolished using explosives. Both had been involved in recent terror activities in the region.
"Based on inputs by intelligence agencies about presence of terrorists in the Keller Forest of Shopian District, J\&K, a joint operation was launched by Indian Army, J&K Police and CRPF on 13 May 2025, resulting in neutralisation of three hardcore 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 success of this operation is the result of an excellent synergy between all Security Forces and Intelligence Agencies. Indian Army remains unwavering in its mission to eliminate terror. Every attempt to disrupt peace will be met with decisive and unrelenting force," the Indian Army said in a statement.
Operation Keller came in the backdrop of massive terror hunt launched by Indian armed forces. On April 22 , Pakistan-sponsored terror attack in Pahalgam took place, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists, making it one of the deadliest attacks in the Valley.
In response, India launched
Operation Sindoor
, a coordinated retaliatory strike on May 7 that targeted nine terrorist launchpads across Pakistan and PoK.
These precision airstrikes destroyed 9 key terror infrastructure, including high-value targets, Jaish-e-Mohammed's Bahawalpur headquarters and Lashkar-e-Taiba's key bastion in Muridke, in mainland Pakistan.
While authorities have not yet confirmed whether the militants killed in Shopian had direct links to the Pahalgam massacre, investigations are ongoing.
Meanwhile, security forces remain on high alert in the region. Despite the ceasefire announced last week between India and Pakistan, counterinsurgency efforts within Kashmir continue at full scale.

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