Junaid Ahmed Bhat, a senior commander of the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was killed by security forces in a gunfight in the Dachigam hills near Srinagar. The encounter began on Monday night when the Jammu and Kashmir Police's Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Indian Army launched a cordon-and-search operation (CASO) in the Dachigam-Tral area. This was prompted by intelligence reports indicating the presence of a group of militants in the region.

During the ongoing operation, Bhat was gunned down, and his identity was later confirmed by police officials. Bhat was a 'Category A' terrorist, implicated in a series of deadly attacks, including a major terror strike on October 20, which resulted in the killing of a local doctor and six construction workers, along with injuring four others, near Gagangir along the Srinagar-Leh highway. This attack was one of the most notable operations carried out by Bhat and his group.

Security forces have continued their efforts to neutralize militants in the region, and Bhat's death marks a significant success for counterinsurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir. The police praised the swift and coordinated response of the SOG and the Army, which led to the elimination of one of the most wanted terrorists involved in recent terror activities.