JAMMU, Apr 11: Security forces neutralized a terrorist during an encounter in the Chatru forest area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Friday, while a separate operation is underway in Udhampur to track down three more militants, Army officials said.
The joint operation by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police was based on specific intelligence inputs. Contact with the terrorists was established during a search-and-destroy mission in the dense forests of Kishtwar.
“The terrorists were effectively engaged, and a firefight ensued. One terrorist has been neutralized so far,” the Army’s White Knight Corps (16 Corps) said in a post on X. Despite challenging weather and difficult terrain, operations are continuing, the statement added.
Special Forces personnel, battling hostile terrain and snow-covered areas, managed to corner and eliminate one terrorist, while others remain on the run. Sources said the slain militant is suspected to be linked to the Pakistan-backed Saifullah module, which had ambushed an army unit in Doda on July 15, 2024, killing an officer and a rifleman. However, official confirmation is awaited.\
Meanwhile, in Udhampur district’s Jopher-Marta forest belt, a separate operation entered its third day on Friday. Security agencies, supported by drones, helicopters, and sniffer dogs, are combing the rugged forest area to locate three terrorists believed to be hiding there.
“Two to three terrorists are suspected to be trapped. A tight night cordon is in place to prevent their escape,” said Senior Superintendent of Police Amod Ashok Nagpure. Contact was initially established on Wednesday during a police-led operation in the Ramnagar area, triggering intermittent firefights.
In response to the rising threat, surveillance has been expanded to the Bhaderwah region of Doda district to monitor potential terrorist movement across Kishtwar, Udhampur, and Kathua — especially with snow now melting in the high-altitude meadows, making infiltration easier during summer.
Security forces have conducted five encounters in the past 19 days in the hilly regions of Kathua, Udhampur, and Kishtwar. Three terrorists have been killed, while four policemen lost their lives. Three other police personnel and a civilian girl were injured during the operations.
Security has also been tightened along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, with intensified frisking of civilians and checking of vehicles, officials said.
Recent Comments