KISHTWAR: Several individuals have been detained for questioning as a massive anti-terror search operation entered its third day in the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Tuesday, officials said.
The operation, codenamed Operation Trashi-I, was launched on Sunday in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo area after intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists. It led to an encounter in which one Army paratrooper was killed and seven others were injured, most of them suffering splinter injuries following a sudden grenade attack by the hiding militants.
The terrorists managed to escape into the dense forest terrain; however, security forces busted their well-fortified hideout located at an altitude of over 12,000 feet. The hideout contained a large quantity of winter supplies, including food items, pulses, blankets and utensils, sufficient to sustain at least four persons during the harsh winter months.
Senior officers, including Inspector General of Police (Jammu Zone) Bhim Sen Tuti and Inspector General of CRPF (Jammu) R Gopala Krishna Rao, reached the encounter site and are camping in the area along with senior Army officers to supervise the ongoing operation.
Meanwhile, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at Satwari in Jammu on Tuesday morning to pay tribute to the fallen Special Forces commando, Havildar Gajendra Singh. The ceremony was led by Brigadier Yudhvir Singh Sekhon, Officiating Chief of Staff, White Knight Corps. The mortal remains were later sent to the soldier’s hometown in Uttarakhand for last rites.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Jammu–Kathua–Samba range) Shiv Kumar Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Jammu Rakesh Minhas, and senior officers from the Army, police, CRPF and BSF attended the ceremony.
Officials said several suspects were picked up on Monday for questioning as security forces attempt to identify overground workers (OGWs) who helped the terrorists procure and transport the large quantity of supplies to the hideout.
In a post on X, the Army’s White Knight Corps said the cordon has been further tightened and search operations expanded, with troops of the Army, police and CRPF dominating the area. Multiple teams, supported by drones and sniffer dogs, are combing the rugged terrain despite thick vegetation and steep slopes hampering visibility and movement.
A group of two to three terrorists, believed to be affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), is suspected to be trapped in the area.
Security operations have been intensified across the Jammu region ahead of Republic Day celebrations amid intelligence inputs suggesting attempts by Pakistan-based handlers to push more terrorists into the region.
