KISHTWAR: Security forces on Monday resumed a search operation to track down terrorists believed to be hiding in the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials said.
The operation was launched on Sunday in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo belt, where security forces established contact with the terrorists, leading to a brief gunfight. Eight soldiers were injured, primarily due to splinter injuries caused by a sudden grenade attack by the hiding terrorists.
The operation was suspended late Sunday night due to challenging terrain, dense vegetation, and steep slopes, which severely restricted visibility and movement, officials added.
With first light on Monday, multiple teams of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and paramilitary forces resumed the operation. The search is being supported by drones and sniffer dogs, while a tight security cordon has been maintained to prevent the terrorists from escaping.
Officials said two to three terrorists, believed to be affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit, are suspected to be trapped in the area. There was no fresh contact with the terrorists till the filing of this report.
The operation, codenamed ‘Operation Trashi-I’, is being led by the Army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps. In a post on X on Sunday, the Corps said security forces came in contact with terrorists in the general area of Sonnar, northeast of Chatroo, during a joint search operation conducted as part of ongoing counter-terror efforts with the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
“Operations remain underway with additional forces inducted to reinforce the cordon, supported by close coordination with civil administration and security agencies,” the Army said, commending the troops for their professionalism and resolve while responding to hostile fire under extremely challenging terrain and conditions.
This marks the third encounter between security forces and terrorists in the Jammu region this year. Earlier encounters took place in the Kahog and Najote forests in the Billawar area of Kathua district on January 7 and 13, respectively.
On December 15 last year, a police officer was killed in an encounter with terrorists at Soan village in the Majalta area of Udhampur district, where the terrorists managed to escape under the cover of darkness and dense foliage.
The recent encounters follow a major counter-terror operation launched in December last year across the forest belts of the Jammu region to flush out nearly three dozen terrorists believed to be hiding in the area.
Security operations have been further intensified ahead of Republic Day celebrations, amid intelligence inputs suggesting renewed attempts by Pakistan-based handlers to infiltrate more terrorists into the region, officials said.
