Security forces on Sunday killed three terrorists, including a top commander of the Pakiatan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar.
Acting on specific inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area, the Indian Army launched a joint operation codenamed ‘Operation Trashi-I’ with the Jammu and Kashmir police and the CRPF.
As the forces were closing in, the terrorists opened fire, prompting a strong retaliation from the joint teams of Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir police. Indian Army’s White Knight Corps confirmed two terrorists were killed in the gunbattle.
“TWO TERRORISTS KILLED | OPERATION TRASHI-1 Pursuant to credible intelligence inputs collated from #JKP, #IB and own intelligence sources, a deliberate joint operation was launched in the Kishtwar region under Operation Trashi-I to track and neutralise terrorists operating in the area,” the White Knight Corps said on X.
It said that after the contact was established, the forces engaged the terrorists at around 11 am in challenging terrain. “Displaying tactical precision, seamless synergy and resolute aggression, troops dominated the encounter site wherein two terrorists have been successfully neutralised. War-like stores including 02 x AK-47 rifles have also been recovered,” the post further said.
Later, the White Knight Corps confirmed a third terrorist was also neutralised.
An official said later said that the one of the terrorists was a top JeM commander. He had reportedly escaped death on several ocassions but was finaly neutralised by the forces today.
This is the second encounter in this area this month. Earlier, a gunfight broke out in the same densely forested area on February 4.
More than a dozen encounters have taken place during the last year between the security forces and the terrorists in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar. Security forces believe foreign terrorists are operaring in the area.