In a significant counter-terror operation, Indian security forces gunned down three Pakistani terrorists, including top Jaish-e-Mohammad commander Saifullah, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district. The encounters occurred on Friday in the Naidgam forest area of Chatroo.
Authorities confirmed the identities of the slain militants as Saifullah, Farman, and Basha—each carrying a bounty of ₹5 lakh. The operation, which began on April 9, saw one terrorist neutralized in the morning, followed by two more later in the day, according to a senior police official.
Personnel from the Army’s 2, 5, and 9 Para units, CRPF, and the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group participated in the high-altitude operation, conducted amid snow-covered terrain and dense forests. Helicopters were deployed to trace fleeing militants. A significant cache of arms, explosives, and ammunition was recovered from the encounter site.
Brigadier JVS Rathi of the 5 Sector Assam Rifles and DIG Shridhar Patil from the Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban range are expected to brief the media on Saturday at the Assam Rifles headquarters.
Simultaneously, security agencies have launched operations in Udhampur and Kishtwar to intercept other members of a suspected infiltration group that recently crossed over from Pakistan via the Hiranagar sector in Kathua district.
In one alarming incident on Wednesday night, three suspected Jaish terrorists forcibly entered a villager’s home in Basantgarh, Udhampur. They took food, clothing, a mobile phone, and other belongings before escaping. A similar intrusion occurred on April 3 in the Chore Panjwa-Khabbal area of Udhampur, where terrorists briefly held a family hostage and seized food and a mobile phone.
These areas have seen heightened movement of terrorists since March 23, when the first sightings were reported in Saniyal village, Hiranagar sector. An earlier encounter on March 27 in Sufain forest, near Jakhole village in Kathua, resulted in the deaths of two terrorists and four policemen.
Meanwhile, in a separate escalation, the Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control in the Keri Battal sector of Akhnoor late Friday, reportedly to facilitate terrorist infiltration. Indian troops responded swiftly, but the skirmish led to the critical injury of Junior Commissioned Officer Kuldeep Singh, who was airlifted to a military hospital and later succumbed to his injuries.
Officials stated that the Pakistani side initiated small arms fire at around 9:15 PM towards an Indian forward post in the Khour police jurisdiction. The Indian Army responded in kind and is expected to release an official statement soon.