Srinagar, July 28 – Three terrorists were killed on Monday during a fierce gunfight with security forces in the higher reaches of Dachigam National Park, near Mahadev peak in Harwan area of Srinagar district. The encounter took place under ‘Operation Mahadev’, the Army said.
According to officials, the terrorists were cornered following intelligence inputs, and reinforcements were rushed to the area due to its dense terrain. “The operation is still underway and the identities of the slain terrorists are being ascertained,” an Army spokesperson confirmed.
Security forces, including the Indian Army, J&K Police and paramilitary units, have been intensifying anti-terror operations across Jammu and Kashmir to dismantle what officials call the “ecosystem of terror” – a network of armed militants, Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and sympathisers.
Since 2019, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has emphasized that the focus of security operations must extend beyond neutralising terrorists to targeting the entire support structure that sustains militancy in the Union Territory.
The April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, carried out by Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists that killed 26 people, triggered a nationwide outrage and led to a stronger offensive. Prime Minister Narendra Modi subsequently gave security forces a free hand to retaliate.
Indian forces later launched precision strikes on terror bases inside Pakistan, destroying nine camps. Pakistan responded by attacking both military and civilian establishments across the border, damaging homes and religious places in Jammu’s Poonch district. In the exchange, 18 Pakistani military installations were reportedly hit.
Monday’s gunfight in Dachigam marks another step in the ongoing operations aimed at neutralising terrorists and preventing cross-border attempts to revive militancy in the region.
Security officials said the current operation in Dachigam will continue until the area is fully sanitised.
