Eight Army personnel were injured in an encounter with terrorists in a remote forest area of the upper reaches of Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday evening. The injured soldiers were evacuated to a hospital, with most sustaining splinter injuries caused by grenade explosions.
The exchange of fire between security forces and the terrorists continued for several hours before subsiding. A large-scale search operation is currently underway to track and neutralise the militants, with additional troops deployed to strengthen the cordon.
The operation, launched around noon and named Operation Trashi-I by the Army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps, began after security forces established contact with terrorists in the general area of Sonnar in Chatroo. The encounter occurred during a search operation conducted as part of ongoing joint counter-terror operations with the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
In a post on X, the White Knight Corps said operations remain ongoing, with additional forces inducted to reinforce the cordon. The Army also noted close coordination with civil administration and other security agencies, while commending troops for their professionalism and resolve in responding to hostile fire in difficult terrain and conditions.
According to officials, one of the search teams encountered a group of two to three foreign terrorists, suspected to be affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). The militants allegedly opened indiscriminate fire and hurled grenades in an attempt to break the cordon. Security forces retaliated, following which reinforcements from the Army, CRPF and police were rushed to the area.
Advanced surveillance equipment, including drones and sniffer dogs, has been deployed to expedite the operation.
