In a significant breakthrough for security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, one terrorist was killed on Wednesday evening during a fierce encounter in the Kishtwar district. The gunfight erupted around 5:45 PM in the Dichhar area of Chingam forest after troops from the Indian Army’s White Knight Corps (CIF Delta), the J&K Police, and the CRPF re-established contact with a group of militants. This marks the fifth major engagement in the Chatroo belt over the last 18 days, as part of the ongoing Operation Trashi-I, which was launched in mid-January to track down a group of foreign terrorists hiding in the region’s dense, snow-covered terrain.
Simultaneously, a separate 20-hour-long operation in the Udhampur district, codenamed Operation KIYA, concluded with the elimination of two high-ranking Pakistani terrorists linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The militants, including a top commander identified as Rubani (alias Abu Mavia), were cornered inside a natural cave in the Jophar Forest area of Basantgarh. Security forces utilized strategic blasts to breach the hideout, eventually recovering the bodies along with a substantial cache of sophisticated weaponry, including an M4 carbine and an AK assault rifle.
While the Udhampur operation has successfully concluded, Operation Trashi-I in Kishtwar remains active. Security forces have intensified their search efforts, utilizing drones and sniffer dogs to navigate the challenging topography. Local authorities have maintained temporary internet suspensions in a six-kilometer radius of the encounter site to prevent the spread of misinformation and ensure the safety of the ongoing tactical maneuvers. The White Knight Corps has reaffirmed its commitment to neutralizing all remaining threats in the Jammu division through seamless inter-agency coordination.
