Srinagar, 09 July (H.S.): A day after a Lashkar-e-Toiba commander was shot dead, security forces on Thursday continued their search for his associate in south Kashmir's Shopian district, with the anti-militancy operation entering its sixth consecutive day.

Officials said joint teams of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the CRPF intensified searches in the Meemandar-Chanapora Shopian, where the operation was launched on July 4 after intelligence inputs suggested the presence of two Lashkar terrorists. The terrorists and security forces have exchanged fire twice during the ongoing operation-first on Saturday evening and again on Wednesday morning.

Searches are continuing to trace the second terrorist, who is believed to be hiding in the area, an official said.

On Wednesday morning security forces achieved a success when they shot dead a local LeT commander Zakir Ahmad Ganai. A resident of Motalhama village in Kulgam district, Zakir had joined the terrorist ranks in September 2023.

With Zakir's killing, only one active local terrorist is believed to remain in Kashmir, while security officials estimate that around 20-30 Pakistani terrorists are still operating in the Valley.

Officials said the ongoing operation in Shopian will continue until the area is completely sanitised and the second terrorist is either apprehended or neutralised.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar