Soldier killed during encounter with terrorists in J&K's Kishtwar
File photo
NEW DELHI: A soldier was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar on Thursday.
"During the ongoing operation, fierce gunfight is continuing. One of our bravehearts sustained grievous injuries in the exchange of fire and has succumbed despite best medical efforts," White Knight Corps posted on X.
Earlier, the officials said that joint security forces launched a cordon and search operation (CASO) after receiving specific intelligence about the presence of a group of three to four terrorists.
'The cordon was tightened to engage the terrorists and to ensure that they are unable to escape. As the joint forces came closer, the hiding terrorists opened fire, triggering an encounter which is now going on. Three to four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists are reported to be holed up,' an official told news agency IANS.
Naming the operation 'Op Trashi,' the White Knight Corps of the Indian Army said in a post on its X handle: 'Contact has been established with #terrorists during a joint #operation with @JmuKmrPolice at #Chhatru, #Kishtwar today morning. Additional troops have been inducted, and operations are ongoing to neutralise the terrorists.'
Joint forces have intensified operations against terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs), and sympathisers in Jammu and Kashmir.
The operations intensified after April 22, when Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists segregated tourists based on religion and killed 26 civilians, including 25 tourists and a local resident, at the Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam.
The cowardly terrorist act outraged the entire nation. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor by carrying out precision-guided strikes targeting terrorist infrastructure in Muridke near Lahore, Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK).
However, India agreed to pause the military operations after Pakistan reached out at the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) level for the ceasefire.
Massive hunt for terrorists in the Valley
Last Thursday, security forces shot dead three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists during a gunfight in Tral area of south Kashmir, which was the second clash in the region in 48 hours after three Lashkar-e-Taiba men were killed.
Terrorists Asif Ahmad Sheikh, Amir Nazir Wani, and Yawar Ahmad Bhat — all three Kashmir natives — were killed after forces launched an operation in Nader Tral based on intelligence inputs. Drones were deployed during the operation to locate hideouts.
'Sharing such content can unintentionally promote extremist propaganda and may affect ongoing investigations,' a police spokesperson said. The public was also asked to stay away from the site.
The Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, including local commander Shahid Kuttay, were killed on May 13 in Shopian. Another Pakistani terrorist was gunned down in March in Handwara. With six terrorist fatalities last week, officials said only seven local militants now remain active — the lowest figure since 1990.
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