Top Lashkar-e-Taiba Commander and Pakistani Terrorist Killed in Gunfight with Security Forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri District

On Thursday, security forces successfully neutralized two terrorists, one of whom was a high-ranking Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander trained in Afghanistan. The encounter took place in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, according to officials. This operation comes after four army personnel, including two captains, lost their lives in the previous day’s operation against these terrorists in the Bajimaal area of the Dharmsal belt.

The gunfight was temporarily halted during the night, with the entire area being cordoned off to prevent the terrorists from escaping. The operation resumed on Thursday morning, resulting in the elimination of the two terrorists. Authorities have confirmed that the operation is now in its final phase.

In an earlier statement, a defense spokesman revealed that one of the terrorists killed was a Pakistani national, known as Quari. He was a highly ranked terrorist leader affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba and had received training on both the Pakistan and Afghanistan fronts. Quari had been active in the Rajouri-Poonch region for the past year and was believed to be the mastermind behind the Dangri and Kandi attacks. His expertise included handling improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and operating as a trained sniper from concealed caves. The identity of the second terrorist is currently being verified.

The two injured army personnel, a major and a jawan, have been admitted to the Army’s Command Hospital in Udhampur for treatment.

The brave soldiers who lost their lives during this operation include Captain M V Pranjal of 63 Rastriya Rifles, hailing from Karnataka; Captain Shubham of the Special Forces, a resident of Agra, Uttar Pradesh; Havaldar Abdul Majid of the Special Forces, from Poonch in J-K; and Lance Naik Sanjay Bist from Nainital, Uttarakhand.

The White Knight Corps of the Army, in a post on X, stated that this joint operation was launched based on specific intelligence received. It took place in the Kalakote area of Gulabgarh forest in Rajouri on Sunday. The post further highlighted the bravery and sacrifice of the Indian Army personnel in preventing collateral damage to women and children.

This encounter in Rajouri follows closely on the heels of another gunfight in Behrote, Budhal area, where one terrorist was killed on November 17. Earlier, two ambushes in the Mendhar area of Poonch and Kandi forest of Rajouri, on April 20 and May 5 respectively, had claimed the lives of 10 soldiers.

Since January this year, terrorism-related incidents in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, as well as the nearby Reasi district, have resulted in a total of 46 deaths, according to officials. Among these, 23 individuals, including seven terrorists and nine security personnel, lost their lives in Rajouri, while Poonch witnessed 15 terrorist fatalities and five security personnel casualties. Three terrorists were killed in Reasi district.