Srinagar: Top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Shahid Kuttay was among three terrorists killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, officials said.
According to an official, based on a specific input about the presence of terrorists in Shukroo Keller area of the south Kashmir district, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there.
The official said the search operation turned into an encounter after the hiding terrorists fired upon the forces who retaliated.
He said that in the exchange of fire, three terrorists were killed.
A senior police official said the terrorists belonged to LeT. He said that two of the neutralised terrorists were identified as Shahid Kuttay and Adnan Shafi. The identity of the third one was being ascertained and it is believed that he was a Pakistani.
Kuttay, a resident of Chotipora Heerpora area of Shopian, had joined the terror ranks in March 2023. He was a category “A” terrorist and a top commander of the terror outfit, the official said.
The neutralised LeT terrorists Kuttay was involved in several terror incidents and anti-national activities, including in the killing of BJP sarpanch at Heerpora on May 18, 2024.
On April 26 last month, days after the Pahalgam attack, authorities razed the residential house belonging to Kuttay who was involved in many anti-national activities, the officials said.
The second terrorists identified as Shafi, was resident of Wanduna Melhora area of Shopian had joined in October 2024 and was a category “C” terrorist. He was involved in the killing of non-local labourer at Wachi, Shopian on October 18, 2024, the official added.