Most-Wanted LeT Commander Zakir Ganie Killed in Shopian Encounter; Operation Still Underway

A top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist identified as Zakir Ganie was killed during an anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Wednesday. The operation entered its fifth day on Wednesday, with security agencies saying another militant is believed to be trapped inside the security cordon.

Ganie as one of the most-wanted LeT commanders active in south Kashmir. His killing came on the tenth anniversary of the death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, although officials have not linked the two events.

The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police announced the development on X with the message: "You Can Run But You Can't Hide!.'' According to police, the operation is being carried out jointly by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Shopian Police, the Army's Rashtriya Rifles and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The encounter unfolded after security personnel, who had been combing the area for several days, came under fire while conducting searches in the forested terrain. Troops returned fire, leading to a brief gun battle.

After the exchange ended, search teams recovered the body of a militant, who was later identified as Zakir Ganie.

Earlier in the day, officials had only confirmed that the body of a suspected militant had been found near the encounter site along with weapons and ammunition. His identity was established later during the operation.

Security forces have since recovered arms and ammunition from the site, while search and sanitisation operations continue. Officials believe another militant could still be hiding in the area, and the operation will continue until the entire locality is declared secure.

The operation was launched on Saturday in the Saidapora-Chanapora area of Shopian after intelligence agencies received specific inputs about the presence of militants.

Since then, the area has remained under a tight security cordon as security forces carried out systematic searches through dense vegetation and difficult terrain. Officials said the operation has been progressing cautiously to ensure no militant escapes the cordon.

Further details, including the exact quantity of weapons recovered and any other operational findings are expected to be released once the operation is formally ended.