A top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist associate, identified as Altaf Lalli, was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir on April 25, 2025.

The operation was launched jointly by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police in the Kolnar Ajas area of Bandipora, following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists.

During the ensuing firefight, two security personnel sustained gunshot injuries and were promptly shifted to a nearby hospital, where their condition is reported to be stable.

This encounter is part of a broader security crackdown in response to the recent terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley, where 28 people, mostly non-local tourists, were killed and over 20 injured.

The attack, the deadliest in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. The TRF stated the motive was to oppose perceived demographic changes in Kashmir due to the settlement of non-locals.

The operation in Bandipora is ongoing, with security forces intensifying efforts to neutralize those responsible for the Pahalgam massacre.

The Army Chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, has arrived in Srinagar to review the security situation and oversee the progress of these operations. The recent encounters underscore the heightened state of alert and the commitment of Indian security agencies to dismantle terrorist networks operating in the region.

PTI