On a frigid Wednesday morning, security forces engaged and killed five militants during an encounter in an isolated village of Kulgam district, located about 65 kilometers south of Srinagar. Two members of the security forces sustained injuries during the operation.
The confrontation occurred just hours before Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened a high-level meeting in New Delhi to assess the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. A police official reported that a joint team—including the Army’s 34 Rashtriya Rifles, local police, and CRPF personnel—encircled Behibagh village, nestled among dense apple orchards in the Kaddar area around 3:30 am after receiving intelligence regarding the presence of militants in the vicinity.
As the search operation commenced, militants opened fire from an apple orchard, prompting an immediate response from the security forces that led to an exchange of gunfire and triggered the encounter.
In the course of the ensuing battle, five local militants were killed, among them notable Hizbul Mujahidin (HM) member Farooq Ahmad Bhat, who had been active since 2015, making him the longest-surviving militant in the area. Bhat was reportedly a close associate of HM commander Burhan Wani, who was killed in 2016 and was instrumental in revitalizing militancy in the region.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) for the south Kashmir region, Javid Iqbal Matoo, informed the media that two soldiers were injured during the clash. Both were transported to the Army’s 92 base hospital in Srinagar, and their condition was reported to be stable.
The DIG added that the slain militants had been involved in various acts of terrorism, and Bhat alone had 37 FIRs lodged against him across multiple police stations. Other militants identified in the operation included Mushtaq Ahmad Itoo, Adil Hajam, Irfan Yaqoob, and Yasir Javed, all associated with the banned Hizbul Mujahidin.
The encounter left several apple trees damaged, with visible bullet marks piercing through their bark. From the site, security forces recovered five AK-47 rifles, two grenades, and 20 magazines. Typically, militant activities tend to decline during winter months due to harsh subzero temperatures and reduced infiltration rates as snow blocks mountain passes. However, this incident marked the second encounter in December, following the killing of a militant in Srinagar earlier in the month who was linked to an attack on October 20 that resulted in the deaths of six migrant workers and a local doctor.
