At least one terrorist from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group has been killed in an encounter with security forces in the Zinpather Keller area of Shopian, Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday, according to sources told India Today TV. The encounter broke out when terrorists opened fire on security forces. Two other terrorists from the same group are believed to be trapped in the area, and an exchange of gunfire continues between the trapped terrorists and the security agencies.

This encounter comes just after security forces put up 'Terror Free Kashmir' posters in Shopian, featuring three Pakistan-backed terrorists – Adil Hussain Thoker, Ali Bhai, and Hashim Musa. These terrorists are believed to be responsible for the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists. The posters were displayed at several locations around Shopian, with a reward of Rs 20 lakh offered for any credible information leading to their arrest.

Thoker, one of the main suspects, had his residence in Bijbehara blown up by Jammu and Kashmir authorities on April 25 using IEDs. Thoker, who crossed the Attari-Wagah border into Pakistan in 2018, reportedly infiltrated back into the Valley last year and is believed to have helped Pakistani terrorists carry out the Pahalgam attack.

In his first address after the Pahalgam attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan, stating that India has only "paused" its military action. "We will be monitoring every step of Pakistan," he added, emphasising that terrorism from Pakistan would ultimately lead to its destruction.

 

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