Three terrorists, including a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, were killed and four security personnel were injured in Jammu and Kashmir, officials familiar with the matter said on Saturday. It has roiled the region since the end of the assembly elections.

Also Read: ‘Today is a dark day in Jammu and Kashmir,’ says Mehbooba Mufti

According to officials, a joint team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and J&K Police launched a cordon and search operation in Srinagar’s Khanyar area after receiving information about the presence of terrorists in the old city. They added that the forces opened fire when they tried to enter a house, triggering the first major encounter in J&K’s summer capital in two years.

Also Read: Jammu and Kashmir: ‘Foreigner’ among 2 terrorists killed in clash with security forces in Anantnag

“A cordon and search operation in Khanyar area of ​​Srinagar district resulted in exchange of fire. J&K Police shared the message “Police and security forces are on the job” at X in the morning.

Also Read: Farooq Abdullah’s statement ‘terrorists should not be killed…’ created controversy. Sharad Pawar and J&K BJP’s reaction

In the images taken from the encounter area, smoke was seen rising from a house as fire was exchanged between the forces and the hiding terrorist. The commander of Pakistan-based LeT terrorist group, which was involved in the killing of a J&K Police inspector last year, was shot dead in the encounter, security officials said in the evening.

“Security forces killed a terrorist identified as LeT commander Usman. He is a foreign terrorist and his role and involvement in the murder of Inspector Masroor has come to light. Further investigations are being carried out in this regard,” said VK Birdi, inspector general of police (IGP), Kashmir.

J&K Police inspector Masroor Ahmad Wani was shot three times at close range by a terrorist at a cricket ground in Srinagar in October last year. He was initially receiving treatment at Paras Hospital in Srinagar, but was later airlifted and transferred to the trauma department of AIIMS in Delhi. The 34-year-old actor died 40 days after his injuries.

According to officials, Usman (who goes by one name) had been operating in the Valley for several years and his killing will deal a serious blow to LeT and its offshoot, the Resistance Front (TRF).

“Usman was also the right-hand man of TRF commander in Pakistan, Sajad Gul,” said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity.

Two CRPF jawans and two personnel of J&K Police Special Operations Group (SOG) were also injured in the operation, officials added. They were transferred to Ordu Hospital, where their condition was stable. Before Saturday, the last major encounter took place in Srinagar in September 2022, when two terrorists affiliated with Al Qaeda-linked Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind were shot dead by security forces.

While security forces were fighting extremists in Srinagar, a joint team of the Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and J&K Police launched a search operation in Kashmir’s Anantnag district, about 80 km away, after receiving information about the presence of terrorists. In the Halkan Gali region. An armed conflict broke out when terrorists opened fire on security personnel during the search efforts.

“Suspicious movement near Halkan Gali was observed by vigilant troops and countered; As a result, terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on their own troops. Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, in a post published on X, said its troops retaliated effectively, resulting in the elimination of two terrorists. The identities of the killed terrorists have not yet been determined.

Saturday’s gunfights took place in the backdrop of a series of terror attacks and encounters in J&K after the first government was sworn in after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 on October 16. Earlier this week, security forces shot and killed a group of terrorists. Extremists opened indiscriminate fire on an army ambulance in a village near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu region’s Akhnoor district. On October 24, two soldiers and two civilian porters were killed when terrorists ambushed an army convoy in Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Four days ago, seven people were killed when terrorists opened fire on a camp at a construction site in the Ganderbal area of ​​the Valley. On October 18, Ashok Chauhan, a 37-year-old migrant worker from Bihar, was shot dead by suspected terrorists in South Kashmir’s Shopian district.

The attacks disrupted the fragile peace maintained during the polling cycle in J&K and revived security concerns in a region embroiled in armed conflict throughout the year. J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah called the “recent wave of attacks in Kashmir a matter of serious concern” and urged security forces to remain vigilant.

On Saturday, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said the rise in extremist attacks was not due to security disruption. “This is not a matter of security weakness. Our security forces are alert and a situation will come where terrorist activities will completely disappear and J&K will develop rapidly,” he said.

This year, 9 personnel and 15 civilians lost their lives in terrorist attacks in Kashmir. Security forces killed 24 terrorists in the Valley during the same period. During the same period, 15 security personnel and 11 civilians were killed in separate attacks in Jammu. Security forces shot and killed 10 terrorists in the region.

Meanwhile, search operations continued in Bandipora district after suspected terrorists opened fire on defense personnel and fled. “Late in the evening of November 1, 2024, a suspicious movement was detected by alert troops in Panar gen area of ​​Bandipora. When challenged, the terrorists opened indiscriminate fire and fled into the forest. Search Operation continues,” Chinar Corps posted on X.