After months of relative calm in south Kashmir, a Lashkar -e-Taiba terrorist was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Pulwama district on Thursday.

Officials said that the encounter started after security forces, including police, army and the Central Reserved Police Forces started searches in Frassipora village on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday based on information from intelligence agencies.

“A terrorist has been eliminated along with the recovery of a weapon, a hand grenade and other war-like stores,” army’s Chinar Corps said in a post on micro-blogging platform X.

Police said that the forces acted on specific information regarding the presence of a militant in village Frassipora area of Pulwama.

The slain terrorist was identified as Danish Sheikh, a resident of Srinagar. He was affiliated with the proscribed outfit The Resistance Front (TRF), the spokesperson added. TRF is an offshoot of the LeT.

“During the search operation, as the joint search party approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding terrorist fired indiscriminately and the forces retaliated,” the spokesperson said.

In the ensuing encounter, the terrorist was neutralised and his body was retrieved from the site.

Local reports said that Sheikh had recently gone missing.

Police have registered a case and started investigations. “People are requested to cooperate with police till the area at the encounter site is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any,” he said.

On January 5, an LeT terrorist was killed in an encounter in Shopian district.

There was a lull in the gunfights for more than three months except for April 5 when security forces foiled an infiltration bid in the Uri sector of Baramulla district and killed a terrorist.

On December 1, a newly-recruited local LeT terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces in Arihal area of Pulwama.