A soldier died and two others sustained injuries on Thursday in an ongoing gunfight between joint security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district.
Officials confirmed the death of Sepoy Gaykar Sandip Pandurang in the Kishtwar encounter. He belonged to Karandi village, Akole tehsil, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra. The injured soldiers have been hospitalised. The encounter continues in the Singhpora Chatroo area.
Earlier, reports suggested that two terrorists were killed, but officials have not confirmed this.
Security forces launched the operation based on specific intelligence about three to four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists hiding in the area. The joint team includes 2 Para, 11 Rashtriya Rifles, 7 Assam Rifles, and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the J&K Police.
Operation Trashi Targets JeM Hideout
Officials said the joint forces initiated a cordon and search operation (CASO) early Thursday. As they closed in, terrorists opened fire, triggering a fierce exchange. The encounter is still underway.
The Indian Army’s White Knight Corps named the mission Operation Trashi. “Contact has been established with terrorists during a joint operation with @JmuKmrPolice at Chhatru, Kishtwar. Additional troops have been inducted,” the Army posted on X.
Security Crackdown Follows Pahalgam Attack
Security forces have intensified operations in Jammu and Kashmir since the April 22 massacre in Pahalgam. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists killed 26 civilians, including 25 tourists, after segregating them by religion in Baisaran meadow.
India responded with precision strikes on terrorist bases in Muridke near Lahore, Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Pakistan retaliated with heavy shelling on the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB), destroying 200 homes and shops.
Hundreds of border residents fled. Many have yet to return, as unexploded shells are still being defused in Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla, and Kupwara districts.
India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire after a DGMOs meeting on June 12. However, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh warned Pakistan. He said India would honour the ceasefire only if Pakistan stopped harbouring terrorists. He described this period as a probation for Pakistan.
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