How Army acted on specific intel to neutralise 6 terrorists in J&K

NEW DELHI: Acting on specific intelligence inputs, security forces carried out two precision operations in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian and Tral regions, eliminating six terrorists in 48 hours, said V K Birdi, inspector general of police for Kashmir Zone, on Friday.The joint operations, conducted by the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), were launched following actionable leads on the presence of terrorist groups in the higher reaches of Kelar and a border village in Tral.Addressing a joint press briefing in Awantipora, IGP Kashmir said, "In the wake of heightened terror activities in Kashmir Valley, all the security forces deployed here reviewed their strategies. Following this review, there was an intensified focus on operations. On the basis of this intensified focus and coordination, we conducted two successful operations in the last 48 hours during which we had significant achievement. These two operations were conducted in the Kelar in Shopian and Tral areas, which resulted in the neutralisation of a total of six terrorists. We are committed to finish the terror ecosystem in Kashmir Valley."Providing operational details, Major General Dhananjay Joshi, GOC Victor Force, said the first encounter occurred in Kelar, Shopian, where security forces detected terrorist movement on May 13 after receiving intelligence on May 12."On May 12, we got information on the possible presence of a terrorist group in the higher reaches in Kelar. On the morning of May 13, on detection of some movement, our parties challenged the terrorists, who retaliated with fire. Our parties neutralised them," Maj Gen Joshi said.The second operation took place in Tral, where terrorists had taken positions inside civilian homes in a border village."The second operation in Tral area was conducted in a border village. As we were laying a cordon at this village, the terrorists positioned themselves in different houses and fired at us. At this time, the challenge we faced was rescuing the civilian villagers. After this, three terrorists were neutralised," he added."One of the 6 terrorists neutralised, namely Shahid Kuttay was involved in two major attacks, including an attack on a German tourist. He also a hand in funding activities," he said in the briefing. The latest crackdown follows the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor, a series of precision strikes targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Key hubs such as Bahawalpur, the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters, and Muridke, a Lashkar-e-Taiba training base, were hit, resulting in the elimination of nearly 100 terror operatives.Read more: 'Pakistan ko andhere mein ujala dikhaya': Rajnath’s praise for IAF on Op Sindoor