J&K: 3 Terrorists killed in Shopian encounter; search operation on

Two were identified as Lateef Lone of Sophian who was involved in the killing of a Kashmiri Pandit Purana Krishna Bhat and Umer Nazir of Anantnag involved in the killing of Till Bahadur Thapa of Nepal.

New Delhi, Dec 20: Three Lakshare-e-Taiba terrorists were gunned down in an encounter that broke out between security forces and terrorists in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir early Tuesday morning.

Two were identified as Lateef Lone of Sophian who was involved in the killing of a Kashmiri Pandit Purana Krishna Bhat and Umer Nazir of Anantnag involved in the killing of Till Bahadur Thapa of Nepal, according to the ADGP Kashmir.

Further one AK-47 and two pistols were recovered.

In a detailed statement to the media at his residence, on the efforts of the Government to counter terrorism, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that while Government has worked on the legal front by strengthening UAPA, at the same time it has also taken steps at the enforcement level by giving National Investigation Agency a truly federal structure by introducing National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Act and the collective effect of these measures has been a weakening of the ecosystem of terrorism.

Highlighting that India has raised its concerns at the highest global levels, he said that in international conferences and meetings, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always pressed the world to unite against terror. The 90th Interpol General Assembly witnessed a participation of over 2000 foreign delegates and culminated in the announcement of 'Global Action Against Act of Terrorism', he added.

"The Governments resolve against terror has been displayed time and again from Surgical Strike to Balakot Strike. The action by our armed forces has caused a significant drop in terrorist incidents in Jammu and Kashmir. Similarly, we have achieved a 94% conviction rate in terror financing cases" Thakur said.

He said that India is increasingly being seen as a country that readily offers all assistance to other countries in their times of crisis and also as one that acts strongly against terrorism, while a neighboring country is only seen as one sheltering terrorism and propounding values of violence.