Jammu, Jan 20: A massive search operation to flush out terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district entered its third day on Tuesday, with several individuals detained for questioning, officials said.
The operation, launched on Sunday in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo belt, followed a gunfight in which one paratrooper, Havildar Gajendra Singh, was killed and seven others sustained injuries, primarily due to splinter effects from a sudden grenade attack by hiding terrorists. The militants escaped into dense forest, but their well fortified hideout stocked with winter provisions, blankets, and utensils was destroyed by security forces.
Senior officers, including Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone, Bhim Sen Tuti, and IG CRPF, Jammu, R Gopala Krishna Rao, along with several army officials, are supervising the ongoing operation on-site.
A wreath-laying ceremony was held in Jammu to pay tribute to Havildar Singh. Brig Yudhvir Singh Sekhon, Officiating Chief of Staff, White Knight Corps, led the ceremony at Satwari, after which the mortal remains were sent to his hometown in Uttarakhand for last rites. Senior officials from police, CRPF, and BSF attended the ceremony.
On Monday, several individuals were taken in for questioning in connection with the hideout bust. Security forces are attempting to identify overground workers (OGWs) who allegedly assisted the terrorists in transporting supplies sufficient for at least four persons during winter months.
The White Knight Corps confirmed on X that Operation Trashi-I continues in Chatroo. “The cordon has been further tightened with search operations expanded. Troops of the corps, along with Police and CRPF, remain deployed to dominate the area,” the post read.
Multiple teams from the army, police, and paramilitary forces, supported by drones and sniffer dogs, are combing the challenging terrain marked by thick forests, steep slopes, and limited visibility. Intelligence suggests that a group of two to three terrorists affiliated with Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) are trapped in the area.
Operations across the Jammu region have been intensified ahead of Republic Day to prevent subversive activities, amid intelligence inputs of attempts by Pakistan-based handlers to infiltrate more terrorists into the region.