A massive anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district entered its second day on Sunday, with security forces continuing the search for two local Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists trapped inside a dense orchard, officials said.
The operation is underway in the Meemandar area of Shopian, where surveillance cameras had captured the movement of the two terrorists on Friday. The orchard belt, which stretches across seven villages, was immediately cordoned off by security forces.
A joint team of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched the operation and by Saturday evening had cleared four villages in the area.
Trapped terrorists identified
The trapped terrorists have been identified as Latif and Zakir. According to officials, the two opened fire on approaching Army personnel, who retaliated effectively, triggering a gunfight.
Officials said the Army's specialised counter-insurgency unit, the Victor Force, has deployed additional personnel to plug all the possible escape routes through the thick foliage of the orchard, besides lighting up the area.
Security officials noted that during the summer months, the heavy foliage in orchards provides natural cover, often helping trapped terrorists exploit blind spots and attempt to break security cordons.
Terrorists associated with LeT
According to security records, both the trapped terrorists are residents of south Kashmir's Kulgam district. While Zakir is reportedly associated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) since 2024, Latif joined the LeT ranks last year.
Shopian has historically served as a critical transit corridor connecting south Kashmir to central Kashmir and the Pir Panjal range.
Officials said that while foreign terrorists have increasingly been used for attacks, containing local operatives like Latif and Zakir remains vital to disrupting the logistics networks and breaking the cycle of local recruitment.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday designated 23 individuals linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), The Resistance Front (TRF) and Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Out of the 23 terrorists, 17 are Pakistani, and six are Indian nationals. However, all of them at present operate terrorist activities from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. With the fresh move of the Central government, a total of 80 individuals have so far been designated as "terrorists" under Section 35 of the Act and included in the Fourth Schedule of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
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