Assault dog Tyson stable after being shot in Kishtwar op: Army

Two days after being shot during an encounter with terrorists in Kishtwar, the Army on Tuesday said assault dog Tyson was recovering from his injuries.

On Sunday, during Operation Trashi-I launched in Kishtwar district, Tyson advanced towards a ‘dhok’, a temporary shelter used by nomadic tribes during seasonal migration, where three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists were hiding. On spotting the dog, the terrorists opened fire and Tyson sustained a bullet injury to his leg. He was immediately evacuated and airlifted to a hospital.

“Tyson (Army assault dog) is recovering well. In the recent Operation Trashi-I at Kishtwar, Tyson displayed extraordinary courage by taking the first bullet while leading the entry into the terrorists’ hideout. Undeterred by his injuries, he pressed forward and launched a fierce assault, compelling the terrorists to open fire and thereby confirming their presence,” the Nagrota-based White Knight Corps said in a statement.

The statement added that his action enabled troops of the White Knight Corps, J&K Police and the CRPF to precisely engage and neutralise three Pakistan-sponsored terrorists.

“Wounded yet in high spirits, alert and recovering well, Tyson exemplifies unwavering devotion to duty, a true warrior and a soldier in every sense,” it said.

Several Army dogs have lost their lives in anti-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years. Trained to track terrorists in dense forests and rugged terrain, these canines are often the first to confront armed militants.

In October 2024, an Army dog, Phantom, was killed during a gunfight in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu district. The Belgian Malinois had detected terrorists hiding in the area, leading to the elimination of one militant. In September 2023, a female Labrador named Kent was killed while protecting her handler during an encounter in Rajouri district.