Operation Akhal Day 3: Two Terrorists Killed, One Injured in Kulgam Encounter

Operation Akhal Enters Day 3: Four Terrorists Killed, Gunbattle Rages in J&K’s Kulgam.

The counter-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district entered its third day on Sunday, with intense gunfire continuing between terrorists and security forces in the dense Akhal forest area. So far, four terrorists have been killed, and another has been injured in the ongoing encounter. One soldier has also sustained injuries during the exchange of fire.

The operation was launched on Friday based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the region. An initial exchange of fire broke out that evening, prompting security forces to tighten the cordon and deploy reinforcements.

According to officials, intermittent but intense firefights continued through Friday night and into Saturday. “Alert troops responded with calibrated fire and tightened the noose while maintaining contact. One terrorist has been neutralised by the security forces so far,” the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps said in an update on Saturday.

By Saturday evening, two more terrorists were confirmed dead. One of them was identified as Haris Nazir Dar, a resident of Rajpora in Pulwama. Security officials believe the terrorists are part of a group comprising four to five or more members.

The search operation, which escalated into a gunfight after the hiding terrorists opened fire, remains active, with forces maintaining a heavy presence in the area. Earlier this week, security forces had also eliminated three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack – Suleiman alias Faizal Jat, Jibran, and Hamza Afghani – as part of a separate anti-terror operation, codenamed Operation Mahadev.