2 Lashkar terrorists trapped in Shopian orchard as massive counter-terror op enters second day
A major counter-terrorism operation is underway in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, where security forces have surrounded two suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists after tracking them to an orchard, officials said.
The operation began on Friday after the two terrorists were spotted on surveillance cameras inside the orchard.
🇮🇳⚡️Firing is going on from both sides, Dogra, Rajput & Jat involved along with SOG
— War Flash (@WarFlash_2630) July 4, 2026
Yesterday, terrorist Zakir Ganie and another unidentified terrorist were captured on CCTV footage in the Shopian, Zakir Ganai and Latif Bhatt are trapped.
Location- Chanpora, near Saidpora… https://t.co/h0Ej4J94VR pic.twitter.com/0kATBRFcu5
A joint team of the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) swiftly launched a cordon-and-search operation in the area.
Fierce gunfight after terrorists open fire
The trapped terrorists have been identified as Latif and Zakir, both residents of Kulgam district.
According to officials, the two opened fire on the advancing security personnel, triggering a fierce exchange of gunfire.
The forces retaliated and have since sealed all possible escape routes from the orchard.
Four villages cleared
The operation covers an area comprising seven villages.
By Friday evening, security forces had successfully cleared four villages while maintaining a tight cordon around the remaining area to prevent the terrorists from slipping away.
Officials said the operation is continuing to neutralise the two militants.
Local Lashkar operatives
Security records indicate that Zakir joined the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2024, while Latif became associated with the group in 2025.
Although foreign terrorists trained and supported from across the border have increasingly carried out attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said eliminating local operatives remains equally crucial.
They noted that local militants often play a key role in logistics, shelter, recruitment and intelligence gathering, making their capture or elimination vital to dismantling terrorist networks in the region.
Shopian remains a strategic transit corridor
Shopian has long been considered a strategically important transit route linking south Kashmir with central Kashmir and the Pir Panjal range.
During the summer months, the dense foliage in the region provides natural cover, often allowing terrorists to evade cordon-and-search operations.
Officials said the ongoing operation aims to prevent exactly such an escape by maintaining a tight security perimeter around the orchard.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
