Shopian, May 14: In a major counter-terror operation, the operational commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Shahid Kuttay, was killed along with two other terrorists in a gunfight with security forces in the Shukroo forest area of Keller in South Kashmir’s Shopian district on Tuesday.
A senior police officer confirmed that Kuttay, one of the most wanted terrorists in the region, was neutralized during the encounter. The joint operation was launched based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the dense forest area.
Shahid Kuttay, a resident of Chotipora Heerpora in Shopian, had joined terrorist ranks on March 8, 2023. He was implicated in several terror-related incidents, including the April 8, 2024 firing at Danish Resort that injured two German tourists and their driver. He was also involved in the killings of a BJP Sarpanch and a Territorial Army (TA) personnel in Beighbagh, Kulgam.
The second slain terrorist was identified as Adnan Shafi Dar, son of Mohammad Shafi Dar, a resident of Wanduna Melhora. The identity of the third terrorist is being ascertained.
The encounter erupted after security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Shukroo forests, following credible leads on terrorist movement in the area.
Officials said the operation marks a significant blow to the LeT network in South Kashmir.