India Strikes Back: Top Lashkar Commander Shot Dead in Revenge for Pahalgam Massacre

India has launched a strong counteroffensive after the horrific April 22 terror attack at Pahalgam in which 26 people were killed. In a breakthrough, security forces have killed top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) handler Altaf Lalli in a battle at Bandipora.

This breakthrough is a significant victory for Operation Justice—a large-scale operation to break the network of terror plotting the attack.

The operation began early on Friday morning, when Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel conducted a coordinated sweep on the basis of accurate inputs from intelligence sources. There was also a renewal of hostilities as security personnel chased militants hiding out in the region.

In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, a terrorist was injured and two police officers in the escort duty of a high-ranking official were wounded.

The intelligence agencies state the operation continues with several LeT militants trailed in the area. The neutralization of Altaf Lalli, a senior Kashmiri of LeT's LeT group, is a major set-back for the logistic and organisational setup of the group.

In the wake of intensified security measures, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi reached Srinagar to have a first-hand look at the situation on the ground. He will probably preside over a strategic review of ongoing operations and help determine the way ahead in India's fight to deliver justice to the victims of the Pahalgam tragedy.