Three terrorists were killed and one soldier injured as Operation Akhal entered day three in Kashmir’s Kulgam district. So far, six terrorists have been eliminated in one of the year’s biggest counter-terror missions.
Gunfire and explosions echoed through the forests of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district as Operation Akhal entered its third day. The Indian Army and security forces killed three terrorists on Sunday, adding to three more killed the day before. Operation Akhal, launched in the Akhal Devsar area of Kulgam, is one of the largest counter-terror operations of 2025. So far, six terrorists have been killed in back-to-back gunfights over the past three days. One soldier was also injured in Sunday’s fighting.
About Operation Akhal
The operation started on Friday after security agencies received intelligence about terrorists hiding in the Akhal forest. A joint team of the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, and the Special Operations Group (SOG) launched a search.
Terrorists hiding under dense forest cover opened fire. A fierce gunfight followed.
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The operation was briefly halted on Friday night due to poor visibility but resumed on Saturday. That day, three terrorists were eliminated in a close encounter.
Sunday’s deadly encounter
On Sunday, the fighting continued with heavy firing throughout the night. The Army’s Chinar Corps said on social media that alert troops used ‘calibrated fire’ to respond and slowly corner the hiding terrorists.
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By morning, three more terrorists had been neutralised.
Who were the terrorists?
Officials confirmed that the three terrorists killed on Saturday belonged to The Resistance Front (TRF), a group linked to the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The TRF had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack in April, which killed 26 civilians.
Terror activity near the LoC in Poonch
Separately, on July 30, Indian soldiers spotted two suspicious people moving near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district. When challenged, the intruders opened fire, and the Army responded quickly.
A brief exchange of gunfire took place, though details of casualties are yet to be confirmed.
Use of high-tech surveillance
Operation Akhal has used advanced surveillance tools to track terrorist movements in forested areas. Top security officials, including the Director General of Police (DGP) and the 15 Corps Commander, are closely supervising the situation.
Elite paramilitary forces are also on ground, working with Army units to trap the remaining terrorists.
More anti-terror operations across Kashmir
- Operation Akhal is one among several major anti-terror missions in Jammu and Kashmir in recent weeks:
- Operation Mahadev: Eliminated Lashkar terrorists behind the Pahalgam massacre.
- Operation Shiv Shakti: Killed two more terrorists near Srinagar on July 29.
- Operation Sindoor: In May, Indian forces killed over 100 terrorists across the LoC in Pakistan territory.
(With ANI inputs)