Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday identified the terrorist killed in an encounter in Budgam district as Yasir, a Pakistani national and alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) member.

The police said Yasir was killed during Operation Ashdar in the Ashdar Gali area of Budgam on Friday. “You can run but you can’t hide,” the police said in a post on X while confirming his identity.

The operation was launched jointly by the Indian Army, J&K Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) following specific intelligence inputs about the movement of a suspected group of terrorists through the forested area.

Terrorist killed in exchange of fire

According to the Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, security forces launched a search operation in Ashdar Gali after receiving intelligence inputs.

During the operation, troops noticed suspicious movement and challenged the suspected terrorists. The terrorists opened fire, triggering an exchange of gunfire in which one terrorist was killed.

An AK-series rifle and other war-like stores were recovered from the encounter site, officials said.
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Search continues for another terrorist

Security forces continued combing operations in the area on Saturday as another terrorist was believed to be hiding in the dense forest.

The operation has been challenging due to the rugged terrain and forested surroundings in the Pir Panjal belt.

The Ashdar Gali area lies above the Yusmarg tourist resort and connects the Kashmir Valley with the Poonch region, making it a strategically significant forest route.
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Second encounter in Kashmir Valley this year

The Budgam encounter comes after an exchange of fire in the Ashdar Gali forests on Thursday.

It is the second confirmed encounter involving terrorists in the Kashmir Valley this year. On July 8, security forces killed LeT terrorist Zakir Ahmad Ganai during a joint operation in Shopian.

The latest operation remains underway as security forces continue searches for suspected terrorists in the Budgam forests.