Militant Killed In Kishtwar Encounter, Cordon Tightened In Udhampur: Officials

Jammu : A militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces in Chhatru forest area of Kishtwar district on Friday, while another counter-militancy operation is on in Udhampur district, officials said.
An official said, “Based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint search-and-destroy operation, codenamed Op Chhatru, was launched by the Indian Army’s White Knight Corps and Jammu and Kashmir Police on April 9, in the dense Chhatru forest, located near the Mughal Maidan passes at an altitude exceeding 8,000 feet. Contact with the militants was established late on April 9, leading to an intense firefight.”
“Today (April 11) one militant was neutralized during the ongoing engagement. The operation, conducted under challenging terrain and adverse weather conditions, underscores the relentless commitment of security forces to eliminate militancy in the region. The identity of the slain militant is yet to be confirmed, though preliminary assessments suggest the individual may be a foreign national,” he added.
“Despite hostile terrain and adverse weather, relentless operations by our brave soldiers continue,” stated the White Knight Corps in an official communication.
“The operation remains active as security forces continue to comb the area for additional threats, with two more militans suspected to be hiding in the vicinity,” it added.
According to Shridhar Patil, Deputy Inspector General Kishtwar Doda Ramban Range, the operations in the Kishtwar region have been going on for the past three days. One militant was eliminated Friday morning.
He stated that the other militants in the region are trapped, and the operation will continue until they are all eliminated.
“This operation was going on for three days and is still ongoing. As we have told so far, one militant has been neutralised in the morning hours, and further operation is in continuation. Details of many operations cannot be shared at this time. Right now, we can tell you this much: the operation is in continuation, and some militants are trapped. The operation will continue until all the militants are eliminated”, Patil told reporters.
The officials said that a separate counter-militancy operation is underway in the Jopher-Marta forests of Udhampur district, under the jurisdiction of Ramnagar police station. “Initiated on April 9, based on credible intelligence regarding militant activity, the operation has seen joint teams of the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and other security agencies establish a cordon-and-search operation (CASO) to track down a group of militants” he added.
“On April 9, a civilian named Rachpal reported that three heavily armed militants, dressed in black, entered his residence in the Basantgarh area around 8:30 p.m., consumed food, and left by 11:30 p.m., taking a mobile phone, clothes, shoes, a bag, and an umbrella. This incident, combined with intelligence reports, confirmed the presence of two to three militants in the Jopher-Marta belt.”
Senior Superintendent of Police, Udhampur, Amod Ashok Nagpure, had said that contact was established with the militants on April 9, leading to a brief exchange of fire. The area has since been placed under a tight cordon, with night patrols, sniffer dogs, drones, and aerial surveillance deployed to prevent the militants’ escape.
The operation has been extended to the higher reaches of Kathua and Rajouri districts, with a brief exchange of gunfire reported in the Billawar area of Kathua.
The twin operations in Kishtwar and Udhampur reflect heightened vigilance in response to recent militant activities in the Jammu region.
Security forces have intensified surveillance in high-altitude areas, particularly in the Bhaderwah area of Doda district, to counter potential infiltration attempts facilitated by melting snow in the higher meadows during summer months.
The operations follow a series of encounters in the Kathua-Udhampur-Kishtwar belt over the past month, during which several militants and security personnel have been killed. On March 28, 2025, four police personnel died and two militants were killed in a fierce encounter in Kathua’s Sufain forest