ANI file photo
JAMMU: An intense gun battle broke out Thursday between security forces and holed-up terrorists in the dense forests of Singhpora in Chatroo belt, in the upper reaches of J&K’s Kishtwar district, even as searches continued on the fifth day of Operation Trashi-I.After a three-day lull, fresh contact was established with terrorists — believed to be three to four in number — on the run since Sunday’s encounter in Sonnar village near the LoC, in which a soldier was killed and seven more were injured. Heavy fire was exchanged between both sides before the ultras managed to escape further into the woods, officials said.Meanwhile, a cordon-and-search operation was launched in the border area of Akhnoor in Jammu district on Thursday morning, following the alleged sighting of terror suspects in Sumah locality the night before.Earlier on Wednesday, searches under Operation Trashi-I were intensified in Sonnar, Mandral-Singhpora, and adjoining areas in Chatroo, even as additional forces were rushed to the operation site to fortify the cordon and block possible escape routes. Amid increased vigil ahead of Republic Day, joint teams of security forces conducted door-to-door searches in localities with a high concentration of Burmese (Rohingyas) and Bangladesh nationals in Bhatindi-Narwal-Rajiv Nagar areas on the outskirts of Jammu, as well as in Rajouri, Poonch, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur and Doda districts as a precautionary measure. On Tuesday, the cordon was strengthened with the help of aerial surveillance and sniffer dogs, following which, the troops busted a well-concealed terrorist hideout and recovered large quantities of rations, utensils, and consumables. Three-four locals from Sonnar village were detained for questioning, as officials suspected that running such a setup would not have been possible without local help from overground workers.Army Special Forces Commando, Havildar Gajendra Singh, who succumbed Monday, was the first security personnel to die in a counter-terrorism operation in the Union Territory in 2026. Operation Trashi-I is the third this year in Jammu division, following clashes earlier this month in Kahog and Najote forests of Billawar in Kathua, south of Pir Panjal range.Kishtwar, a remote district east of the Chenab and south of Kashmir Valley, saw intensified counter-terrorism efforts in 2025 as forces tracked Pakistan-based terrorists through steep terrain and thick forests. At least six gun battles were reported there over seven months. On May 22, an Army trooper was killed and two others wounded in Chatroo. Weeks earlier, three Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were shot dead in the same area.Security officials said Kishtwar sits astride a traditional infiltration corridor, with terrorists crossing from Pakistan via Kathua and moving through Udhampur and Doda before heading towards Kashmir valley, using forest cover to evade detection.
