Soldier injured in gunfight between terrorists, security forces in Kishtwar

An Army soldier was injured during an encounter with terrorists in Kishtwar district on Wednesday, prompting security forces to launch an extensive search operation to eliminate the militants.

The encounter occurred in the Chhatru area, a remote mountainous region that has witnessed several gunfights this year. The operation was jointly launched by the Army and the J&K Police following intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area.

According to Army officials, troops of the White Knight Corps established contact with terrorists during an early morning operation. “In an intelligence-based operation, conducted jointly with J&K Police in the early morning hours, alert troops of the White Knight Corps established contact with terrorists in the general area of Chhatru. Fire was exchanged, and the operation is in progress,” the Army said in a statement.

The injured soldier was airlifted to the Command Hospital in Udhampur, where he is undergoing treatment. His condition is stated to be stable.

Sources said that troops were advancing cautiously through the dense forest terrain, as there is a possibility of ambush. Many soldiers have lost their lives in past encounters fought in similar conditions in the region. However, following strategic re-alignments and better coordination between security forces, the Army has managed to significantly reduce its own casualties in recent operations.

In August this year, security forces engaged terrorists in a fierce encounter in the Dul area of Kishtwar. Earlier, in May, a soldier was killed while two terrorists were neutralised during another operation in Chhatru.

With winter setting in and snow expected soon in the higher reaches, security agencies anticipate that terrorists hiding in upper areas will attempt to move towards the lower hills. Vigil has been intensified in the forested belts of Rajouri, Poonch, Kishtwar, Doda and Reasi, which have witnessed repeated militant activities in recent years.

Officials said that several Pakistan-trained terrorists have managed to infiltrate the mountainous districts of the Jammu region, aided by Over Ground Workers (OGWs) in remote areas. Militants often use dhoks—temporary shelters of nomadic communities—when herders migrate to lower altitudes during winter.

The Army, they added, has strengthened its human intelligence network, allowing timely detection of terrorist movement in the forest belts.

Meanwhile, security forces have also launched a separate search operation in Poonch district after reports of suspicious movement along the border areas. The operation, being carried out jointly by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of J&K Police, the Army, and the CRPF, is focused on the Balakote–Mendhar sector.