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Terrorist hideout busted in J-K's Poonch; grenades, ammunition recovered

Terrorist hideout busted in J-K's Poonch; grenades, ammunition recovered

Security forces busted a terrorist hideout during a joint anti-terror operation conducted by the Poonch Police Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Indian Army's Romeo Force in the Marha area near Behram Gala.
Acting on intelligence inputs regarding suspicious movement, the joint team launched an operation in the region on Saturday. During the search, security personnel recovered three hand grenades, live ammunition, wire cutters, batteries, power cables, a knife, and other incriminating material from the hideout.
Earlier, an encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district in the late hours of Wednesday.
Indian Army's White Knight Corps, posted from its official handle on X and said, "Op CHHATRU. Based on specific #intelligence a joint search operation was underway in Kanzal Mandu, #Kishtwar."
Op CHHATRU Based on specific #intelligence a joint search operation was underway in Kanzal Mandu, #Kishtwar. Contact has been established with the #terrorists and #operations are in progress. @adgpi @NorthernComd_IA
— White Knight Corps (@Whiteknight_IA) July 2, 2025
"Contact has been established with the #terrorists and #operations are in progress," it said. on On June 26, security forces "neutralised" one terrorist during an encounter in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to officials, the joint operation, code-named Operation Bihali, was launched earlier on June 26 by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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