On Tuesday, the Indian Army began a counterterrorism operation in the general vicinity of Shoekal Keller in Shopian, Jammu & Kashmir, based on intelligence provided by a Rashtriya Rifles unit. Operation Keller was launched in response to specific intelligence regarding the existence of terrorists in the area.
The area was cordoned off and searched by security personnel. They claimed that once the terrorists opened fire on the retaliating soldiers, the search operation descended into a gunfight. Three ardent terrorists were killed by the military during the gunfight. The terrorists’ identities have not yet been verified.
Three terrorists were slain in a clash with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian area on Tuesday, including prominent Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Shahid Kuttay, according to officials. Security forces are still searching the area for any more potential threats, according to military officials, who confirmed that the operation is still ongoing. To keep a close eye on the area and guarantee the protection of the nearby population, reinforcements have been sent in.
A senior police official said the terrorists belonged to LeT. He recognised the two as Adnan Shafi and Shahid Kuttay. They were trying to figure out who the third one was. According to the official, Kuttay, a native of Shopian’s Chotipora Heerpora neighbourhood, joined the terror group in March 2023 and was a high commander of the group. He was classified as a category “A” terrorist. He said that Kuttay was responsible for a number of anti-national and terrorist actions, including the May 18, 2024, murder of a BJP sarpanch in Heerpora.
The successful operation is a part of the Indian Army’s and security forces’ continuous efforts to fight terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the dangerous areas of Pulwama and Shopian. Authorities demolished Kuttay Kuttay’s residential home on April 26 of last month, just days after the Pahalgam incident. According to the officials, Kuttay has been involved in several anti-national acts for the past three to four years. Shafi, a grade “C” terrorist who lived in the Wanduna Melhora neighbourhood of Shopian, joined in October 2024. According to the official, he participated in the October 18, 2024, murder of a non-local labourer in Wachi, Shopian.
According to senior government officials, any future act of terror in India will be viewed as a “act of war” against the nation and will be dealt with appropriately, they stated on May 10.
In what is interpreted as a message to Pakistan, a nation connected to several terrorist organisations that target Indians, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to set clear guidelines against acts of terrorism and makes it apparent that it will take action against those responsible. The decision was made in the midst of tensions with Pakistan after the April 22 terror incident in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, primarily tourists.
