Terrorist Killed in Overnight Encounter in J&K’s Ganderbal

Srinagar: A local militant was killed during an overnight encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, the Army said on Wednesday.

Security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation late Tuesday night in the Arahama area of Ganderbal after receiving intelligence inputs about suspicious movement in the region. According to the Army's Srinagar-based 15 Corps-also known as Chinar Corps- the operation was initiated jointly by the Army and the J&K Police based on “specific intelligence input.”

During the search, troops detected suspicious activity in the area. When challenged, the suspected militants opened fire, prompting security forces to retaliate. The Army stated that the exchange of fire continued intermittently through the night.

As the encounter progressed, the cordon was “tactically reorganised” to prevent the militants from escaping. The Army said its personnel responded with a “calibrated and effective” counter-fire, ultimately leading to the killing of one terrorist.

The slain militant was identified as Rashid Ahmad Mughal, a 28-year-old resident of Lar in Ganderbal district. His identity was confirmed by his elder brother at the Police Control Room in Srinagar.

Earlier, the Chinar Corps had posted updates on ‘X’, noting that the joint operation was underway and that troops had engaged the militants after observing suspicious movement. A subsequent update confirmed the elimination of one militant while the operation continued.

Security forces are expected to conduct further searches in the area to ensure no additional threats remain, the Army and police sources said.