Three soldiers were injured during a gunfight with terrorists in a remote forest area of Kishtwar on Sunday, officials said.
The encounter took place in the upper reaches of the district when security forces came in contact with terrorists during a search operation. The operation, named Operation Trashi-I, is being led by the Army’s White Knight Corps in coordination with Jammu and Kashmir Police.
In a post on X, the Army said troops encountered terrorists in the general area of Sonnar, northeast of Chatroo, while carrying out a planned search as part of ongoing joint counter-terror efforts. The forces were operating in difficult terrain when the terrorists opened fire.
Officials said the terrorists, believed to be two to three foreign militants linked to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, fired indiscriminately and also threw grenades in an attempt to break the security cordon. The troops responded swiftly, leading to an exchange of fire that continued intermittently for some time.
During the gunfight, three soldiers suffered splinter injuries. They were evacuated to a hospital, where their condition was stated to be stable. Reinforcements from the Army, CRPF, and police were immediately rushed to the area to tighten the cordon and prevent the terrorists from escaping.
Security forces have launched a massive search operation in the forest belt to track down and neutralise the militants. Advanced surveillance equipment, including drones and sniffer dogs, has been deployed to speed up the operation.
The Army said operations are still ongoing, with close coordination between security agencies and the civil administration. It praised the troops for showing professionalism and courage while responding to hostile fire under challenging conditions.
This is the third encounter in the Jammu region this year. Earlier gunfights were reported in the forests of Kahog and Najote in Kathua district on January 7 and 13. Last month, a police officer was killed during an encounter in the Majalta area of Udhampur, where terrorists managed to escape under cover of darkness.
Officials said counter-terror operations have been intensified across the Jammu region, especially ahead of Republic Day, amid intelligence inputs about attempts by Pakistan-based handlers to push more terrorists into the area.
