Operation Keller launched on intelligence input,says army

The terrorists were identified by police as Shahid Kuttay, Adnan Shafi Dar and Ehsan ul Haq Sheikh of Shopian

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.

The identity of the third killed terrorist was revealed on Wednesday. (HT representational)

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.