JAMMU: Havildar Gajendra Singh of Army’s Special Forces died Monday after suffering grenade splinter and bullet wounds during an overnight gun battle with terrorists in the mountains of Kishtwar district in J&K, marking the first security force death in a counterterrorism operation in the Union territory in 2026.Singh, an Uttarakhand native, was among eight soldiers wounded late Sunday when terrorists ambushed a joint Army–police search team in dense forests near Sonnar village, part of the Chatroo belt of Kishtwar in the Jammu division, an area close to the LoC. He and two others were airlifted to hospital, but Singh did not survive, officials said. The Army’s White Knight Corps confirmed the death on X.The clash began after troops moved toward suspected hideouts and came under grenade attacks followed by bursts of AK-47 fire in darkness, according to officials. The operation, codenamed Trashi-I, was launched on intelligence indicating terrorist presence in the rugged, wooded hills.On Monday, forces tightened the cordon and expanded searches, reinforcing units in the forested zone. Investigators believe two or three terrorists are involved. Officials estimate about 30 terrorists are active across the wider Jammu region.During the continuing sweep, troops uncovered a hideout stocked with rations and utensils, signalling sustained presence in the area. “The operation is ongoing,” an official said.The gunfight is the third this year in Jammu division, following clashes earlier this month in the Kahog and Najote forests of Billawar in Kathua district, south of the Pir Panjal range. Security across Jammu has been stepped up ahead of Republic Day.Kishtwar, a remote district east of the Chenab and south of Kashmir Valley, saw intensified counterterrorism 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.
