Terrorists Trapped in Kishtwar as Gunfight Erupts with Security Forces

Terrorists Trapped in Kishtwar: An encounter between security forces and terrorists broke out early Thursday morning in the Singhpora area of Chatroo, located in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district.

Police sources said a group of three to four terrorists from Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is believed to be trapped in the area, following a joint cordon-and-search operation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Indian Army, and paramilitary forces.

The operation was launched after what authorities described as “precise intelligence input” provided by the local police. The trapped terrorists are thought to be part of the same group that recently escaped an earlier encounter in the same region.

“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 that is now going on. Three to four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists are reported to be holed up,” officials said.

Also Read: Two Israeli Embassy Staffers Fatally Shot in Washington, D.C.; Ambassador Condemns ‘Depraved Act’

Naming the operation as ‘Op Trashi’, the White Knight Corps of the Indian Army in a post on its X handle said, “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 neutralize the terrorists.”

Joint forces have started aggressive operations against terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers in J&K. These operations were intensified after April 22, when Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists segregated tourists on the basis of religion and killed 26 civilians, including 25 tourists and a local, in Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam.

The cowardly terrorist act outraged the entire nation. India launched precision-guided targeted attacks on terrorist infrastructure in Muridke near Lahore, Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Pakistan responded by heavy mortar shelling on the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, targeting civilian facilities.

Also Read: Shehbaz Sharif Claims Credit for Elevating Asim Munir to Field Marshal Amid India-Pakistan Tensions

Three terrorists were killed in the two operations.

Major general Dhananjay Joshi, GOC Victor Force, elaborated on the anti-terror operations in the Keller and Tral areas and said that the challenge they faced was "rescuing" the civilian villagers.

"On May 12, we got information on the possible presence of a terrorist group in the higher reaches in Keller. On the morning of May 13, on detection of some movement, our parties challenged the terrorists, who retaliated with fire. Our parties neutralised them. The second operation in the Tral area was conducted in a border village. As we were laying a cordon at this village, the terrorists positioned themselves in different houses and fired at us. At this time, the challenge we faced was rescuing the civilian villagers. After this, three terrorists were neutralised," the major general said.

Also Read: IPL 2025, MI vs DC Live Updates: Delhi Capitals Opt to Bowl; Axar Patel Ruled Out Due to Illness