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NEW DELHI: A fresh gunfight broke out on Thursday between security forces and holed-up terrorists during an ongoing search operation in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials said.The operation, codenamed “Operation Trashi-I”, was launched in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo belt on Sunday. During the initial contact, three soldiers were injured when a search team encountered terrorists around noon in the Sonnar area, northeast of Chatroo.Also read | J&K: 3 soldiers injured in encounter between security forces & terrorists in Kishtwar; operations under wayOfficials said, “One of the search teams encountered a group of two to three foreign terrorists, believed to be affiliated with Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). The terrorists allegedly opened indiscriminate fire and lobbed grenades in an attempt to breach the cordon.”A major terrorist hideout was unearthed near the scene of the encounter on Monday, and several individuals were picked up for questioning, the officials said.Also read | 50 Maggi packets, 20kg rice, veggies, LPG cylinders: JeM’s winter bunker unearthed during Kishtwar encounterThe situation escalated on Thursday morning when a fresh contact was established with the holed-up terrorists in the dense forests of Singhpora. “Heavy firing between the two sides was going on when last reports were received, and efforts are on to neutralise the terrorists operating in the area,” officials said.A group of two to three terrorists allegedly affiliated with JeM are believed to be trapped in the encounter, according to the officials.
