Srinagar: A top operative of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Zakir Ganai, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district on Wednesday, bringing to an end a nearly five-day-long anti-terror operation, officials said.
The operation began on July 3 after intelligence inputs indicated the presence of two LeT terrorists hiding in a
dense orchard in Shopian, reported News 18. A joint team comprising the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG), the Army’s Rashtriya Rifles, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched a cordon-and-search operation and gradually tightened the security ring around the area.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police confirmed Ganai’s death, stating: “You can run but you can’t hide! One Lashkar terrorist neutralised by SOG Shopian, in a joint operation along with RR and CRPF.”
Officials said Ganai was among the two terrorists initially detected through surveillance cameras in the orchard. The second terrorist is believed to have remained trapped as the operation continued. Security forces had sealed all possible escape routes and illuminated the area during the night to prevent any breakout attempt through the thick foliage.
According to security officials, Ganai was a resident of Kulgam district and had joined the Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2024. The second militant, identified as Latif, is also from Kulgam.