Kishtwar: A gunfight between security forces and terrorists erupted on Thursday morning in Singhpora, Chatroo, within Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district. A joint team of the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and paramilitary forces had launched a search operation upon receiving credible intelligence regarding the presence of militants in the area.
Officials claimed that a group of three to four terrorists allegedly associated with terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad is presently trapped in that area. It is believed that these terrorists were part of the same group that evaded arrest following a previous encounter in the district.
One District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawan was killed during the initial exchange of firing. The area has been cordoned off, and reinforcements have been dispatched to prevent the escape of terrorists. The operation is still continuing, and heavy firing has broken out from both sides.
Sources indicate that the intelligence-based operation, codenamed Operation Trashi, is part of a bigger crackdown on cross-border terrorism and sleeper cells active in the Chenab Valley region. Security forces are employing advanced methods of surveillance and tactical execution to neutralize the terrorists without further collateral damage.
