One Terrorist Killed in Ongoing Encounter During ‘Operation Akhal’ in J&K’s Kulgam: Army

A terrorist was killed during a fierce gunfight with security forces in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Army said on Saturday morning, as ‘Operation Akhal’ continued in the region.

“Intermittent and intense firefight continued through the night. Alert troops responded with calibrated fire and tightened the noose while maintaining contact,” the Chinar Corps posted on its official X handle.

So far, one terrorist has been neutralised, the Army confirmed. The operation remains active, with forces maintaining a tight cordon around the area.

This marks the third major encounter in a week across Jammu and Kashmir:

• July 31–Aug 1: In Operation Shivshakti, two terrorists were killed during a prolonged gunfight near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district, after Indian troops foiled an infiltration attempt in the Kalsian-Gulpur area.

• July 28: In Operation Mahadev, three Pakistani terrorists—identified as Suleiman, Afghan, and Jibran—were gunned down in the Lidwas forest area near Harwan, on the outskirts of Srinagar. The trio were senior operatives of the Pakistan-based banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and were linked to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Suleiman was believed to be the mastermind of that attack.

Security forces in the region remain on high alert amid increased infiltration attempts and recent intelligence inputs suggesting heightened terror activity along the LoC and hinterland.