Several people were detained for questioning as a large-scale search operation to track down terrorists entered its third day on Tuesday in the upper reaches of Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
The operation began on Sunday in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo area after security forces received specific intelligence inputs. It led to an encounter in which one Special Forces paratrooper was killed, while seven other soldiers were injured, mostly due to splinter injuries caused by a grenade attack carried out by the hiding terrorists.
The militants managed to flee deeper into the dense forest, taking advantage of the difficult terrain. However, security forces succeeded in uncovering and dismantling a well-fortified hideout used by the terrorists. The hideout was stocked with a large quantity of winter supplies, including food items, blankets and utensils, sufficient to sustain at least four people during the harsh winter months.
Senior officers, including Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone, Bhim Sen Tuti, and Inspector General of CRPF, Jammu, R Gopala Krishna Rao, visited the encounter site and are camping in the area along with senior Army officers to closely supervise the ongoing operation.
Meanwhile, a wreath-laying ceremony was held in Jammu on Tuesday morning to pay tributes to the slain Special Forces commando, Havildar Gajendra Singh. The ceremony at Satwari was led by Brigadier Yudhvir Singh Sekhon, Officiating Chief of Staff of the White Knight Corps. Later, the mortal remains of the soldier were sent to his native place in Uttarakhand for last rites.
Several senior officials, including Deputy Inspector General of Police of the Jammu-Kathua-Samba range Shiv Kumar Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Jammu Rakesh Minhas, and officers from the police, CRPF and BSF, were present at the ceremony.
Officials said that on Monday afternoon, multiple individuals were taken into custody for questioning in connection with the busted hideout, which was located at an altitude of over 12,000 feet. Security agencies are working to identify overground workers who allegedly helped the terrorists by arranging and transporting large quantities of rations, pulses, utensils and other essential supplies.
In a post on X, the Army’s White Knight Corps said that Operation Trashi-I is continuing in the Chatroo area. The cordon has been further tightened and search operations have been expanded, with troops of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF deployed to dominate the area.
Multiple teams, supported by drones and sniffer dogs, are continuing the combing operation despite difficult conditions caused by thick vegetation, steep slopes and limited visibility.
Officials believe that two to three terrorists linked to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit are still hiding in the area.
Security operations have been intensified across the Jammu region ahead of Republic Day celebrations, following intelligence inputs suggesting attempts by Pakistan-based handlers to push more terrorists into the region.
