New Delhi: Jammu & Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah on Thursday held a high-level meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah focussing on key security issues, particularly related to Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister expressed hope that statehood will be restored, emphasizing that the current responsibility of law and order and security lies with the Lieutenant Governor.

“The meeting with the Home Minister was regarding the situation in J&K, restoration of statehood, …There were talks over statehood to J&K and there is hope that it will be restored. At present, the responsibility of law and order and security is of the LG. I have told the Home Minister that terror and militancy can be dealt with only by including the people of J&K by taking into confidence the elected representatives,” he said.

Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, National Investigation Agency Director General Sadanand Date, and BSF Chief Daljeet Singh Chawdhary were among the other officers to attend the meeting. Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, J&K Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo and J&K Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat also attended the meeting.

Earlier on Thursday, Five terrorists were neutralised by the security forces while two soldiers sustained injuries in an encounter in the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a post on X, the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps said, “Five terrorists neutralised by the security forces in the ongoing operation in Kader, Kulgam. During the firefight, two soldiers have suffered injuries and have been evacuated for medical care.”

An encounter broke out in the Kadder area of Kulgam district.Indian Army’s Chinar Corps said that the terrorists opened a “heavy volume” of fire when challenged by the security forces.

On December 3, a terrorist identified as Junaid Ahmed Bhat was killed in an ongoing operation with security forces in Srinagar district. Police said Bhat was involved in civilians killing at Gagangir, Ganderbal and several other terror attacks, in Jammu and Kashmir.