A senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, identified by security officials as Sulaiman Shah alias ‘Musa’, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district on Tuesday, September 29. The operation was launched in the Korag area near Yousmarg following specific intelligence inputs about suspected terrorist movement.
The Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jointly conducted the search operation. According to the Army’s Chinar Corps, troops noticed suspicious movement and challenged the suspected terrorists, who allegedly responded by opening fire, leading to a gunfight in which one terrorist was neutralised. Officials said Musa was wanted in connection with several attacks on both sides of the Pir Panjal range over several years. He had also reportedly escaped an earlier security operation in the Yousmarg hills this month.
Gunfight In Forested Terrain
The encounter took place in the higher reaches of Budgam, with officials placing the operation around Korag and the Dudhpathri forest area near Yousmarg. The mountainous and forested terrain made the search operation challenging, with security personnel continuing combing operations after the exchange of fire. The Army said the operation was based on “specific intelligence input” and involved the Indian Army, J&K Police and CRPF.
In its account, the Chinar Corps said: “Vigilant troops observed suspicious activity, and upon being challenged, the terrorists opened fire,” resulting in a fierce exchange during which one terrorist was neutralised. While security officials identified the slain man as Sulaiman Shah alias Musa, the Chinar Corps did not initially disclose his identity in its public statement. Some reports have also referred to him as Fauzi Musa, although the available official account confirms the encounter and the killing without publicly naming him.
Earlier Operation In Yousmarg
Musa had reportedly remained on the security forces’ radar for several years because of his alleged involvement in multiple attacks across areas on both sides of the Pir Panjal range. His reported presence in the Yousmarg region had also featured in an earlier operation this month. On September 5, security forces conducted an operation in the Yousmarg hills in which a LeT terrorist identified as Yasir was killed. Officials said Musa had managed to escape from that operation. Security agencies subsequently continued searches and intelligence-led operations across the forested belt around Yousmarg and Dudhpathri.
The latest encounter comes amid continuing counter-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in remote forest and mountainous areas that can provide concealment and routes for movement. Officials said Musa was wanted in connection with several attacks, but detailed information about the individual cases attributed to him has not been publicly established in the Army’s latest statement. The operation also remained active after the gunfight, with security forces searching the surrounding area for any other suspected militants and awaiting further details about recoveries and the wider outcome.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The killing of a suspected terrorist in an armed encounter may represent a security development, but it also underlines the human cost of prolonged violence in Jammu and Kashmir. Counter-terror operations are aimed at protecting civilians and security personnel from attacks, while every such operation also demands transparency, adherence to law and careful verification of facts.
Claims about an individual’s involvement in past attacks should therefore remain clearly attributed until established through due legal and investigative processes. Sustainable peace cannot be built through violence alone; it requires security, accountability, justice, dialogue and opportunities for communities to live without fear. How can security and accountability be strengthened together to create a safer and more peaceful Jammu and Kashmir?
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#BREAKING: Midnight encounter rages between terrorists and security forces in Gurwatkalan area of Budgam in Jammu & Kashmir. One terrorist killed so far in the encounter. Indian Army, J&K Police and CRPF are on the job.
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) September 29, 2026
