Militant’s body recovered in J&K’s Shopian, days after gunfight with forces

2 min readSrinagarUpdated: Jul 8, 2026 11:39 AM IST

Police and the joint team of forces have intensified the search operation as they believe the second terrorist may also be hiding in the area. (File/AP Photo)

A Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist was killed in a gunfight in south Kashmir’s Shopian. Zakir Ahmad Ganaie’s body was recovered three days after the gunfight.

Police officials said the joint team of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Army and paramilitary forces recovered Ganaie’s body during a search operation on Wednesday morning.

They said that when the joint team of forces resumed the search operation on Wednesday morning, a few gunshots were heard, after which the body was recovered from a cowshed in the village.

Zakir was one of only two local terrorists on police records.

On Saturday evening, a joint team of forces launched a cordon and search operation in Channapora village of Shopian after specific inputs about the presence of terrorists in the village. The two terrorists — Zakir and his associate Lateed — were also captured on a surveillance camera.

As the joint team of forces searched the village, the hiding terrorists opened fire, leading to a brief encounter. When the operation was halted for the night, the joint forces found no trace of the terrorists. When it resumed the next morning, it was believed the terrorists had escaped.

“You can run but you can’t hide! One Lashkar terrorist neutralised by SOG (Special Operation Group of J&K Police) Shopian in a joint operation along with RR (Rashtriya Rifles) and CRPF,” J&K Police posted on X.

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Police and the joint team of forces have intensified the search operation as they believe the second terrorist may also be hiding in the area.

This is the first gunfight between terrorists and the joint team of forces in the Kashmir Valley. Ganaie is the first terrorist killed this year.

The last gunfight in the Valley took place in October last year, when two terrorists were killed in a gunfight in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.

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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