Security forces resume search operation in J&K’s Kishtwar after overnight halt

Security forces on Monday resumed a major counter-terror search operation in the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district after suspending it overnight due to difficult terrain and a small fire that broke out in the forested area, officials said.

The operation, launched on Sunday in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo belt, followed intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists hiding in the region. A brief gunfight erupted during the search, leaving eight Army personnel injured, most of them sustaining splinter injuries after terrorists lobbed a grenade from concealment, officials said.

The search was halted late Sunday night as thick vegetation, steep slopes and poor visibility posed challenges to troops on the ground. Officials said a minor fire in the dense forest further restricted movement and visibility, prompting security commanders to pause the operation and maintain a tight cordon through the night to prevent any escape.

With the first light of day, joint teams of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and paramilitary forces re-entered the area, intensifying combing operations. Drones and sniffer dogs have been deployed, and additional forces have been inducted to strengthen the cordon around the suspected hideout.

According to officials, two to three terrorists believed to be affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad are suspected to be trapped in the area. No fresh contact had been established with the militants at the time of filing this report.

The Army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps said the forces came under hostile fire during a search operation in the general area of Sonnar, northeast of Chatroo, as part of a joint counter-terror exercise. It added that operations remain ongoing, with close coordination among security agencies and civil authorities.

This encounter is the third such incident in the Jammu region this year. Earlier this month, security forces engaged terrorists in the Kahog and Najote forest areas of Kathua district. In December last year, a police officer was killed in an encounter in Udhampur district, where terrorists managed to escape under cover of darkness and dense foliage.

Security operations have been stepped up across the Jammu region ahead of Republic Day, amid intelligence inputs warning of renewed attempts by Pakistan-based handlers to push terrorists into the area to carry out attacks.