Kishtwar Encounter: ‘Soldier killed, Operation on’

Jammu: A soldier was killed on Thursday in an ongoing gunfight between security forces and terrorists at Singhpora area of Chatroo in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials said.
The operation was launched early Thursday morning following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area. A joint team of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and CRPF cordoned off the suspected location.
“As the joint forces approached a suspected hideout, the terrorists opened fire, leading to a heavy exchange,” an official said.
During the initial exchange, one soldier sustained critical injuries and later succumbed despite receiving immediate medical attention.
Confirming the casualty, the Indian Army’s White Knight Corps said in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “During the ongoing operation, fierce gunfight is continuing. One of our #Bravehearts sustained grievous injuries in the exchange of fire and has succumbed despite best medical efforts. Operation is in progress.”
The Army has named the counter-terror operation as “Op Trashi.” In an earlier update, White Knight Corps said, “Contact has been established with terrorists during a joint operation with @JmuKmrPolice in Chhatru, Kishtwar, this morning. Additional troops have been inducted, and operations are ongoing to neutralise the terrorists.”
Sources said that three to four terrorists, believed to be affiliated with the Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit, are trapped in the area.
Additional reinforcements have been deployed, and a tight cordon has been established to prevent their escape.
The encounter comes on the heels of back-to-back anti-terror operations in South Kashmir.
Just days ago, three terrorists were killed in a gunfight in Nader Tral area of Pulwama. The operation followed another in Shopian’s Keller Shukroo forest, where three Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists were killed and a cache of arms and ammunition was recovered