Five terrorists, including a senior Hizbul Mujahideen commander, were killed in an intense encounter in Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on Thursday, December 19. The joint operation was carried out by the Indian Army and J&K Police in the Kadder village of south Kashmir.

The dead include Farooq Ahmad Bhat, who was popularly known as Umer or Farooq Nali. He was one of the most wanted terrorists in the Kashmir Valley. Bhat hailed from Yaripora in Kulgam and has been active since 2015, and he has been awarded the title of the longest-surviving terrorist in the region. His name appeared on the "most-wanted" list in 2021 and he was categorized as an 'A+' terrorist in police records.

According to the officials, it is a great blow to the Hizbul Mujahideen, a well-known terror group in Kashmir.

How did the encounter begin?

Acting on intelligence inputs, the joint team sealed off Kadder village late Wednesday night. As security personnel closed in on their target before dawn, terrorists tried to escape by rushing towards an orchard while opening an indiscriminate fire to break the security. In the crossfire, two Army soldiers were injured.

The joint forces retaliated, and a fierce gunfight began in which all five terrorists were neutralized. The police said that all the militants killed were locals from Kulgam district.

Who were the other terrorists killed?

Besides Farooq Ahmad Bhat, the four other terrorists killed in the encounter were:

Mushtaq Ahmad Itoo: From Mohammadpur village, he joined Hizbul Mujahideen in March 2020

Adil Hussain: Khandipora, who was active for over a year.

Yasir Javid: Terrorist who joined in the early months of the year.

Mohammad Irfan: From Hawoorah, he has become part of the militant ranks since 2022.

Multiple identity documents, including Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, and ATM cards, were recovered from the spot.

The killing of Bhat, 44 years, is the end of terror nearly a decade over the region. According to officials, his involvement with militant activities made him a great target for security agencies.

The encounter has been viewed as an enormous success for counter-terror operations in south Kashmir, particularly against the Hizbul Mujahideen group. Security forces remain keenly vigilant in the district to prevent the infiltration process or militant regrouping.