Daijiworld Media Network - Kishtwar

Kishtwar, Jan 20: Security forces continued a large-scale operation on Tuesday to flush out terrorists hiding in the upper reaches of Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir, marking the third consecutive day of the mission. Several individuals have been detained for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation, officials said.

The operation, launched on Sunday in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo belt, had earlier led to a gunfight in which one paratrooper was killed and seven others injured, mostly from splinter injuries caused by a sudden grenade attack by hiding terrorists.

While the terrorists managed to escape deeper into the forest, security forces discovered and dismantled a well-fortified hideout stocked with winter supplies, including eatables, blankets, and utensils.

Senior officers, including Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone, Bhim Sen Tuti, and Inspector General of CRPF, Jammu, R. Gopala Krishna Rao, are on-site supervising the operation alongside army officials.

A wreath-laying ceremony was held in Jammu on Tuesday morning to pay homage to the slain Special Force Commando, Havildar Gajendra Singh. Brig Yudhvir Singh Sekhon, Officiating Chief of Staff of White Knight Corps, led the ceremony at Satwari. The mortal remains of Havildar Singh were later sent to his hometown in Uttarakhand for the last rites. Several senior police and paramilitary officials, including DIG Shiv Kumar Sharma and Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Minhas, were present.

Officials said multiple individuals were questioned on Monday to identify overground workers (OGWs) who helped the terrorists procure and transport rations, pulses, utensils, and other winter supplies sufficient for at least four persons.
The army’s White Knight Corps confirmed on X that Operation Trashi-I is ongoing in Chatroo. The cordon has been tightened, and search operations have been expanded, with army, police, and CRPF teams deploying drones and sniffer dogs despite the challenging terrain marked by thick vegetation and steep slopes.

Authorities believe two to three terrorists, allegedly affiliated with Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), are trapped in the area. Security has been intensified across Jammu ahead of Republic Day to ensure peaceful celebrations, amid intelligence inputs of attempts by Pakistan-based handlers to infiltrate more terrorists into the region.