A major counter-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district led to the killing of three terrorists, including top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Shahid Kuttay. Acting on specific intelligence, security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Shukroo Keller area of south Kashmir. As the forces closed in, the terrorists opened fire, triggering a fierce gunfight. The encounter ended with the elimination of all three terrorists, one of whom was identified as category “A” militant Shahid Kuttay, who had been active for the past several years.

Kuttay, a resident of Chotipora Heerpora in Shopian, had joined terrorist ranks in March 2023 and had quickly risen through the ranks to become a key commander in the LeT network. Authorities confirmed his involvement in multiple terror-related incidents, most notably the assassination of a BJP sarpanch in May 2024. Just weeks earlier, the government had demolished Kuttay’s house as part of a crackdown on terror infrastructure following the Pahalgam attack. His death marks a significant blow to Lashkar’s operations in the region.

Along with Kuttay, the security forces also neutralized Adnan Shafi, a category “C” terrorist from Wanduna Melhora in Shopian. Shafi had joined the LeT in October 2024 and was linked to the targeted killing of a non-local labourer in October last year. The identity of the third slain terrorist is still being verified. Security forces have intensified surveillance and anti-terror operations in Kashmir Valley amid rising threats and to maintain stability ahead of upcoming civic activities.