The search for the two Letu terrorists enters the second day in J&K’s Shopian
A joint team of several columns of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force formed a tight cordon around the area and cleared four villages. Representative file image. | Photo credit: NISSAR AHMAD
A night-time operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district entered its second day on Sunday (July 5, 2026) as security forces resumed their search for two local terrorists of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba who were cornered in a dense orchard, officials said.
A search has been resumed to track down two terrorists who were spotted on surveillance cameras on Friday (July 3, 2026) in an orchard in Meemandar area, which includes seven villages.
A joint team of several columns of Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force formed a tight cordon around the area and cleared four villages by evening.
The two jailed terrorists have been identified as Latif and Zakir. They opened fire on the approaching army personnel, who effectively retaliated, triggering a gunfight, officials said.
Officials said the army’s specialized counter-insurgency unit, Victor Force, had deployed additional personnel to block all possible escape routes with thick orchard leaves in addition to lighting the area.
During the summer months, heavy foliage offers natural cover, making tracking difficult and allowing trapped terrorists to exploit blind spots to breach cordons.
According to security records, both the captured terrorists are residents of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district. While Zakir is said to be associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) since 2024, Latif joined the ranks of LeT last year.
Shopian has historically served as a critical transit corridor connecting South Kashmir with Central Kashmir and the Pir Panjal range.
Officials said that while foreign terrorists are increasingly being used for attacks, the detention of local operatives like Latif and Zakir is still vital to disrupting logistics networks and breaking the cycle of local recruitment.
Published – 05 Jul 2026 07:59 IST