Lashkar-e-Taiba Terrorist Junaid Bhat Killed in Srinagar Encounter

Security forces neutralized Junaid Bhat, linked to multiple civilian killings, during an operation in Dachigam forest near Srinagar.

Junaid Bhat, a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative from Kulgam, was involved in the October attack that killed seven civilians at a construction site in Ganderbal district.
The encounter began on December 2 in the Harwan area of Dachigam forest after security forces received specific intelligence about terrorist activity.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation (CASO), leading to a gunfight that resulted in Bhat's death; the operation is ongoing.
The October attack in Ganderbal was the deadliest on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, following the region's reorganization as a union territory.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier vowed justice for the Ganderbal victims, emphasizing a strong response to such acts of terrorism.