Seven Indian Army soldiers were injured during an intense gunbattle with terrorists in the rugged terrain of Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, as security forces continued a major counter-terror operation named Operation Trashi-I.
According to official sources, the encounter took place in the general area of Sonnar, northeast of Chatroo, when Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police teams established contact with terrorists during a deliberate search operation around noon. The terrorists opened indiscriminate fire and lobbed grenades in an attempt to break the security cordon.
The injured soldiers were promptly evacuated to a hospital after troops retaliated effectively and stabilised the situation, officials said.
In a statement posted on X, the Army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps confirmed the contact and said that operations remain underway with additional forces inducted to strengthen the cordon. The Army praised the troops for displaying “exceptional professionalism and resolve” while responding to hostile fire in extremely challenging terrain and weather conditions.
Security officials said two to three foreign terrorists, suspected to be affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group, are believed to be trapped in the forested area. Reinforcements from the Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Jammu and Kashmir Police have been deployed to tighten the cordon and prevent any escape.
Advanced surveillance equipment, including drones and sniffer dogs, has been pressed into service to aid search operations and track terrorist movement in the dense forest zone.
Operation Trashi-I marks the third terrorist encounter in the Jammu region this year. Earlier gunfights were reported in the Kahog and Najote forests of the Billawar area in Kathua district on January 7 and January 13. In December last year, a police officer was killed in a separate encounter in Udhampur, where terrorists managed to flee under cover of darkness.
Officials said counter-terror operations have been intensified across the Jammu region following intelligence inputs about attempts by Pakistan-based handlers to push more terrorists into the area, particularly ahead of Republic Day celebrations.
Security forces have urged civilians to remain calm and cooperate with authorities as the operation continues to neutralise the remaining threat and ensure public safety.
