Militant killed in fierce Kulgam gunfight, second major clash in Kashmir in a week

An unidentified militant was killed in a fierce overnight encounter in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, marking the second major anti-militancy operation in the region in less than a week.

Codenamed Operation Akhal, the gunfight began August 1 evening after a joint team comprising the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Indian Army, and paramilitary forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Akhal village, acting on credible intelligence about militant presence.

The Army’s Chinar Corps said the encounter saw "intermittent and intense firefight" through the night. “Alert troops responded with calibrated fire and tightened the noose while maintaining contact. One terrorist has been neutralized so far,” it said in a post on X.

Police officials, meanwhile, indicated that more militants may be holed up in the area. “Preliminary inputs suggest that four to five militants were hiding in the vicinity,” a senior police officer said, adding that the operation remained active as of August 2 morning.

This is the second high-stakes encounter in Kashmir in a span of days. Just last week, security forces neutralized three Pakistani militants during a gun battle on the rugged outskirts of Srinagar.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah later confirmed that the slain Pakistani militants were behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which left 25 tourists and a local pony handler dead in Baisaran meadow, a popular tourist destination. The brazen daylight assault had sparked nationwide outrage and heightened Indo-Pak tensions.

The recent uptick in militant activity and targeted counterinsurgency responses underline the volatile security dynamics in the Kashmir Valley, even as authorities brace for potential escalations.