Srinagar, Aug 2 (IANS) One terrorist was killed on Saturday in an ongoing gunfight between the security forces and the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district.

Officials said that after Intelligence inputs were recieved about the presence of terrorists in the Akhal forest area of Kulgam district, the joint forces started a CASO (Cordon & Search Operation) on Friday.

“Exchange of fire between the joint forces and the hiding terrorists is taking place and one terrorist has been killed in this ongoing operation so far.

“The identity and other details of the slain terrorist will be ascertained after the operation is concluded”, officials said.

Security forces have been carrying out aggressive operations against the terrorists in the hinterland while the Indian Army has been on maximum alert guarding the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K.

The elimination of three hardcore Pakistani terrorists responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam attack in which 26 people were killed, is part of the aggressive operations being carried out by the joint forces.

Three hardcore Pakistani terrorists including LeT commander, Suleman Shah and his two associates Abu Hamza and Jibran Bhai responsible for the Pahalgam attack were killed on July 28 in the higher reaches of Dachigam national park on the foot of Mahadev mountain peak in Harwan area of Srinagar. The Army code named this operation as ‘Operation Mahadev’.

After the Pahalgam terror attack, the security forces are carrying out anti-terrorist operations against gun wielding terrorists, their over ground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers in J&K.

Drug smugglers and drug peddlers are also on the radar of the security forces because it is believed that the funds generated by hawala money racket and drug smuggling are finally used to sustain terrorism in J&K.

The coordinated and Intelligence-backed operations of the joint forces are aimed at dismantling the ecosystem of terrorism in J&K rather than focussing on just the elimination of the gun wielding terrorists.

–IANS

sq/rad