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Militant killed in Kulgam, second major encounter in a week in Kashmir

Operation Akhal: The encounter began on Friday evening after a joint team of Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Indian Army, and paramilitary forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Akhal village

The encounter began on Friday evening in Akhal village. (File Photo: PTI)

Kashmir Kulgam Encounter: An unidentified militant was killed in an overnight gunfight with security forces in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, the Indian Army said on Saturday.

The encounter began on Friday evening after a joint team of Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Indian Army, and paramilitary forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Akhal village, following intelligence inputs about militant presence in the area.

“Intermittent and intense firefight continued through the night,” the Army’s Chinar Corps posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Alert troops responded with calibrated fire and tightened the noose while maintaining contact. One terrorist has been neutralised by the security forces so far.”

The operation in the area is ongoing, the Army said.

OP AKHAL, Kulgam

Contact established in General Area Akhal, Kulgam. Joint Operation in progress.#Kashmir @adgpi @NorthernComd_IA pic.twitter.com/d2cHZKiC61

— Chinar Corps🍁 – Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) August 1, 2025

Police sources said that security forces had received information about a larger group of militants being present in the area. “The inputs suggest that four to five militants were hiding in the area,” a police official said.

This is the second major gunfight reported in Kashmir in the past week. Last week, three Pakistani militants were killed in a firefight in a mountainous area on the outskirts of Srinagar.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that those militants were responsible for the April 22 attack on tourists in Pahalgam, where 25 tourists and a local pony rider were killed in the Baisaran meadow. The incident drew widespread condemnation and escalated tensions between India and Pakistan.

Bashaarat Masood

Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. Expertise and Experience Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development. Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor. Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans: Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance. Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population. Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley. Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More

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