Two militants, including Basit Ahmed Dar, a prominent commander of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), were neutralised during an encounter with security forces in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.

Basit Ahmed Dar, who was the subject of a Rs 10 lakh bounty by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), had been missing from his residence in Redwani area of Kulgam since 2021 when he decided to join militant ranks, according to Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) V.K. Birdi.

IGP Birdi revealed that Dar was implicated in a staggering eighteen cases of terrorist violence, which encompassed assaults on security personnel and minority communities across Srinagar and south Kashmir districts. He described Dar as the "mastermind behind a spat of civilian killings," underscoring the significance of his elimination as a major success for the security forces.

The encounter unfolded in Redwani Payeen village of Kulgam early on Tuesday, lasting until approximately 1 pm, following intelligence inputs about militant presence in the area. The ensuing gun battle resulted in the demise of Basit Ahmed Dar and his associate. The police noted that Dar was leading a faction of militants affiliated with The Resistance Front, a derivative group of LeT.

Simultaneously, security agencies are intensifying efforts to maintain peace in the Kashmir Valley ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The J&K police, along with other law enforcement agencies, reiterated their commitment to ensuring a tranquil electoral process across all three constituencies in the region scheduled for voting in subsequent phases.

Regarding another development, J&K police announced the attachment of properties belonging to seven "terror handlers" situated in Pakistan, located in Baramulla district. These properties, valued at millions of rupees, were seized following directives from the Additional Sessions Court, as part of ongoing efforts to curb terrorist activities and dismantle support networks operating from across the border.