Indian Forces Kill Lashkar-e-Taiba Commander Zakir Ganai in Shopian

Indian security forces killed Zakir Ganai, a commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and its offshoot The Resistance Front, during a joint operation in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir. The operation concluded on July 8, 2026, following a cordon and search effort that began on July 3 after surveillance cameras spotted Ganai and an accomplice, Latif Bhatt, in a dense orchard in the Meemandar area.

The joint mission involved the Special Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Central Reserve Police Force, and units of the Indian Army, including the Victor Force and the 44 and 55 Rashtriya Rifles. Security forces sealed escape routes across seven villages and engaged in intermittent exchanges of fire. Ganai, a 26-year-old resident of Kulgam district, was neutralized during a gunfight, and his body was recovered from a cowshed in the Chanapora area along with a cache of arms and ammunition.

While Ganai has been eliminated, security forces continue combing operations to locate and neutralize Latif Bhatt, who is believed to remain trapped within the cordoned area. In a related development, security forces also apprehended three over-ground workers in Anantnag.