On Tuesday, November 5, 2024, security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora district engaged in a gunfight with terrorists in the Ketsun forest area, resulting in the death of an unidentified militant. The operation is ongoing, and officials are working to ascertain the identity of the deceased.
WATCH:
Jammu & Kashmir | Encounter breaks out between Security Forces and terrorists in the Ketsun forest area of Bandipora. Exchange of fire underway.
Details awaited.
(Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/IYOiTnzffY
— ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2024
This incident follows a series of terrorist activities in the region. On November 2, a top commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), identified as Usman Bhai alias Chota Waleed from Pakistan, was killed after a daylong gunfight in Srinagar’s Khanyar area. During this encounter, two local policemen and two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel sustained injuries.
In October, terrorists attacked workers constructing a tunnel from Gagangir to the Sonamarg tourist resort in Ganderbal district, killing six non-local laborers and a local doctor from Budgam district. The project aimed to make the Srinagar-Sonamarg route an all-weather road, promoting economic growth and employment.
Subsequently, terrorists ambushed an army vehicle in the Botapathri area of Gulmarg in Baramulla district, resulting in the deaths of three soldiers and two porters. There have also been targeted attacks on non-local semi-skilled workers in the Shopian and Budgam districts, though the victims escaped with minor injuries.
In response to the escalating violence, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has directed security forces to intensify operations against terrorists, their supporters, and overground workers (OGWs). He announced that properties of those providing shelter to terrorists would be demolished, emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and its enablers.
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The resurgence of terrorist attacks in previously peaceful areas poses a significant challenge to security forces, as even isolated incidents can disrupt the hard-earned peace in the region.