A top wanted Pakistani commander, Usman, of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was among three terrorists killed in two separate fierce encounters with security forces in the Kashmir valley on Saturday.

While Usman was gunned down in the thickly populated Srinagar’s downtown Khanyar locality, the other two, including a Pakistan terrorist, were eliminated in a gunfight with security forces in the Halkan Gali forest area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Four security forces personnel, including two of CRPF and two of J&K Police, were injured during the gunfight in Khanyar, reports said.

The Srinagar based Chinar Corps of the Indian Army wrote on X; “Based on specific input, a Joint Operation was launched by the Indian Army, CRPF and J&K Police in the general area Halkan Gali, Anantnag”.
“On 02 November 2024, suspicious movement near Halkan Gali was observed and challenged by vigilant troops, as a result, terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on the Army column. The troops effectively retaliated, resulting in the elimination of two terrorists”, a defence officer said.

Reports said that an Army soldier on Road Opening Party (ROP) duty died due to accidental fire in the Rawalpora area of Srinagar.

Meanwhile, a fierce encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in Srinagar’s downtown Thung Mohalla, in Khanyar, Srinagar. As many as 12 houses were evacuated and the residents were taken to a safe place to prevent damage to civilians.

Heavy exchange of gunfire continued for hours in the thickly populated locality.

It is after several years that a gunfight has erupted in Srinagar city.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the locality in the morning when the hiding terrorists opened fire at them. The security forces retaliated leading to the encounter.

Senior officers of the Army, CRPF, J&K Police and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vidhi Kumar Birdi were present in Khanyar supervising the anti-terror operation.

The development comes barely hours after two migrants from Uttar Pradesh were injured in a terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Budgam district. The injured duo from Saharanpur, Sufiyan and Usman, sustained injuries after being shot at in the Mazhama area of Magam in Budgam.

Another search operation was reported in North Kashmir’s Bandipora. The Chinar Corps said that “On 01 November late evening, suspicious movement was spotted, in the general area Panar of Bandipora, by alert troops. On being challenged, terrorists opened indiscriminate fire and escaped into the jungle”.

National Conference (NC) MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, J&K Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra and some other leaders have questioned the recent surge in terror attacks at migrant labourers following the elections.

On 24 October, terrorists ambushed an Army vehicle near Gulmarg, killing two soldiers and two Army porters and injuring another porter and a soldier.

Further incidents in the weeks prior included attacks on labourers from other states, such as the 18 October killing of a Bihari labourer in Shopian and a deadly attack on seven non-local labourers at a tunnel construction site in Ganderbal on 20 October.