Gun battle erupts in Kishtwar, terrorists trapped in forest area

A gunfight broke out between security forces and terrorists in the mountainous Kishtwar district on Sunday following intelligence inputs about the presence of militants in the area.

The encounter took place in the Hadal Gal forest area of the district. According to official reports, two to three terrorists are believed to be holed up in the area.

An exchange of fire continued for some time; however, there have been no reports of casualties so far. Officials said additional reinforcements have been rushed to the area, and search operations are underway to track down and neutralise the terrorists.

In a statement, the Army’s White Knight Corps said, “Based on specific inputs, an operation was launched by the Army in the Hadal Gal area of the Kishtwar sector. Contact has been established with the terrorists. The operation is currently in progress.”

Earlier this month, on July 2, a gunfight had also broken out between security forces and terrorists in the Kanzal Mandu area of Chatroo. That operation, too, was launched based on intelligence inputs.