SFs intensify anti-terror Ops amid rising infiltration
JAMMU: Security forces have intensified counter-terror operations across Jammu and Kashmir as an encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces in Kishtwar district on Wednesday, while a massive search operation was simultaneously launched in the border areas of Poonch following reports of suspicious movement.
According to officials, the gunfight erupted early Wednesday morning after alert troops of the White Knight Corps, in coordination with Jammu and Kashmir Police, launched an intelligence-based operation in the general area of Chhatru. “Contact was established with terrorists in the region and the operation is in progress,” the White Knight Corps said in a post on X.
Initial reports suggest that two to three terrorists are engaged in the firefight. One jawan sustained a minor injury during the exchange of fire, and reinforcements were rushed to the area to prevent the militants from escaping.
Kishtwar has witnessed a spike in militant activity over the past several months, with at least six encounters reported in the district within seven months. Earlier, on September 13, two army personnel — including a junior commissioned officer — were killed and two others injured in the Naidgram area of Chhatru. In another encounter on May 22, a soldier and two terrorists were killed in the Singapore area, while on April 12, three terrorists were neutralized in Kishtwar.
Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Poonch district, the Special Operations Group (SOG), Army, and CRPF jointly launched a search operation in the Balakote-Mendhar border sector after receiving inputs about the movement of suspected persons in the area. Security forces have cordoned off several locations and are conducting intensive searches.
Officials said the forces remain on high alert following recent incidents of drone sightings and possible infiltration attempts along the Line of Control. On Tuesday, a suspicious drone was recovered from a field in Sakhi Maidan village of Mendhar, located about six kilometres from the LoC.
Locals have been urged to remain vigilant and share any information regarding suspicious activity. The back-to-back operations in Kishtwar and Poonch underline the heightened security preparedness and ongoing efforts of the forces to dismantle the terror network and thwart infiltration from across the border.
Officials said additional troops from nearby army formations have been moved to reinforce the ongoing operations, while surveillance drones and sniffer dogs have been pressed into service to track possible escape routes of the terrorists in Kishtwar’s rugged terrain.
Intermittent firing continued throughout the day as security forces tightened the cordon.
In Poonch, combing operations are being carried out in forested areas adjoining the Line of Control to rule out the presence of infiltrators. Intelligence inputs suggest that the terrorists involved in recent encounters may belong to newly floated outfits backed by Pakistan-based handlers, aiming to revive militancy in the Pir Panjal region.
