Seven soldiers were wounded in a intense firefight with terrorists in the dense forests of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Saturday, security sources said.
The gunbattle erupted in the Chatroo area’s Sonnar belt, northeast of Chatroo, during a major cordon-and-search operation codenamed Operation Trashi-I launched around noon by the Indian Army’s White Knight Corps in coordination with Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Security officials said a patrol party was fired upon and attacked with grenades by two to three foreign terrorists believed to be from the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). The militants were attempting to break the cordon when troops returned fire, triggering a prolonged exchange.
Additional forces from the Army, CRPF and police were immediately rushed to the spot to tighten the encirclement. Sporadic firing continued for several hours.
The injured soldiers were quickly airlifted or shifted to nearby hospitals. The Army described their response under heavy fire in tough mountainous terrain and inclement weather as exemplary.
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Drones, sniffer dogs and more troops have now been pressed into service to track down the hiding terrorists. Coordination with civil administration remains tight.
This is the third encounter in the Jammu region this year, after two separate operations in Kathua’s Billawar forests on January 7 and 13. The ongoing operation is part of a larger drive launched last December to hunt down nearly three dozen terrorists who infiltrated into the Jammu forest belt. Security has been stepped up further ahead of Republic Day following intelligence about fresh infiltration bids orchestrated from across the border.
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