One Terrorist Killed, Two Possibly Trapped as Operation Akhal Continues in Kulgam Forests

Kulgam: A joint counterterrorism operation by Indian security forces is underway in the Akhal forest area of Devsar, Kulgam district, where one terrorist was neutralised late Friday night. The slain militant has been identified as Haris Nazir, a Category-C terrorist from Rajpura, Pulwama, who had reportedly been active since 2023 and is suspected to have links with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The high-intensity operation, codenamed Operation Akhal, was launched based on precise intelligence inputs about terrorist movement in the area. Security forces, including the Indian Army, J&K Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG), and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), initiated a cordon and search operation Friday evening that swiftly escalated into a fierce gunfight after terrorists opened fire.

According to official sources, intermittent exchange of fire continued throughout the night. Around 4 a.m., a 20-minute heavy firefight was reported, after which there was a brief lull. Given the challenging terrain and dense forest cover, retrieval operations were paused during the night for safety. The body of the neutralised terrorist is yet to be recovered.

Security officials believe that two to three more foreign terrorists (FTs) may be holed up in the cordoned area, and the operation remains active and ongoing. The area is under tight lockdown, with aerial surveillance and reinforcements brought in to prevent any escape.

This encounter forms part of Operation Mahadev, an intensified anti-terror push launched across Jammu and Kashmir following multiple recent attacks. Earlier this week, Indian forces killed three militants in Pahalgam, who were identified as key conspirators in the April 22 terror strike. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing Parliament, confirmed that the mastermind of that attack, Suleiman, affiliated with LeT, was among the slain terrorists.

Just days before the Kulgam operation, forces foiled an infiltration bid near the Kalsian-Gulpur sector of Poonch, killing two heavily armed militants attempting to cross the Line of Control (LoC). In another incident, Agniveer Lalit Kumar of the Indian Army lost his life on July 25 in a landmine blast while patrolling the Krishna Ghati sector.

Despite a relative drop in spring-season violence, July has shown signs of a resurgence in militant activity, with increased infiltration attempts and gunfights reported across multiple districts in South Kashmir.