The Indian Army neutralised three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists during a major operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district on Tuesday. The operation, named ‘Operation Keller’, also led to the recovery of a large cache of weapons and ammunition.
A video shared after the encounter showed several rifles, grenades, bullets, backpacks, and wallets that belonged to the terrorists.
The Indian Army launched Operation Keller based on specific intelligence from a Rashtriya Rifles Unit, which had information about terrorists hiding in the Shoekal Keller area of Shopian.
The Army posted on X, “Based on inputs by intelligence agencies about presence of terrorists in the Keller Forest of #Shopian District, Jammu & Kashmir, a joint operation was launched by #IndianArmy, @JmuKmrPolice and CRPF on 13 May 2025, resulting in neutralisation of three hardcore terrorists including the local commander of LeT/ TRF after an intense encounter.”
“The three were actively involved in recent terror activities in the region. Recoveries from the operation include AK series rifles, large quantity of ammunition, grenades and other war like stores,” Army mentioned.
This joint operation involved the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, and intelligence agencies, according to news agency PTI.
Officials confirmed that one of the three terrorists killed was a top LeT commander, Shahid Kuttay, who had joined the terror group in 2023. He was listed as a Category ‘A’ terrorist. Another slain terrorist was identified as Adnan Shafi. The third terrorist’s identity is still being verified.
This action comes just days after the start of Operation Sindoor, which was launched by Indian forces on May 7 to crack down on Pakistan-backed terrorism. Operation Keller is seen as part of a broader push by Indian security forces to tackle militant threats in the region.
According to police, Kuttay's residence was demolished on April 26, just four days after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, most of whom were tourists. Security forces say the operation in Shopian is still ongoing.
[With inputs from PTI]