Shopian Terrorists Killed and Arms Recovered

Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition on Wednesday (14 May), including rifles, grenades, and bullets. The recovery was made a day after three terrorists affiliated with the Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group were killed during a joint Army and paramilitary operation in the dense forests of Shoekal Keller, codenamed Operation Keller.

Two of the slain terrorists were identified as locals — Shahid Kuttay and Adnan Shafi Dar — while the identity of the third is yet to be confirmed. Both Kuttay and Dar had a history of involvement in deadly attacks, with Kuttay active since March 2023 and linked to the April 8 attack on German tourists in Shopian. Dar reportedly killed a migrant worker on the very day he joined LeT in October 2024.

Authorities suspect the trio may have been involved in the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. Although a direct connection has not yet been established, both Kuttay and Dar’s past actions point to their deep involvement in LeT’s operations. Following the Pahalgam massacre, their family homes were demolished as part of the crackdown on terrorism.

In the wake of the recent encounters, posters in Urdu have appeared in Shopian offering a Rs 20 lakh reward for leads on the Pahalgam attackers, calling the perpetrators enemies of the nation. Operation Keller is being seen as a major counterterrorism success in Kashmir this year, second only to the March 16 killing of a Pakistani terrorist in Handwara. Security remains tight in the region, especially after India’s May 7 airstrikes on terror launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor.

References

Terror Trio Killed in Shopian as Forces Recover Huge Weapons Haul in Operation Keller