In the past 19 days, five encounters have taken place across the hilly districts of Kathua, Udhampur, and Kishtwar in Jammu. The rise in encounters points to a renewed militant push in the region.
The operations have resulted in the killing of at least three militants, including top Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) commander Saifullah, and four police personnel. Seven other security forces personnel have been injured.
From April 9-11, an operation was launched in the Naidgam area of Chatroo, Kishtwar. Three militants were killed, including commander Saifullah, a top Pakistani militant. He is believed to be the mastermind behind two attacks on Army convoys in February and March 2024, in which several Army personnel were killed.
In the initial engagement, one militant was killed at Naidggam. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban Range, Sridhar Patil, confirmed one militant was killed but refused to divulge more yesterday.
Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir: DIG DKR Range, Shridhar Patil, visits the encounter site in Chatroo, Kishtwar.
— IANS (@ians_india) April 11, 2025
He says, "The operation that has been ongoing for the past three days is still continuing. As we informed you earlier, in the morning hours, one terrorist has been… pic.twitter.com/93zLLs1zjq
“More details will be shared after the operation is over,’’ he said. Later, two more militants were killed, and all bodies and a large quantity of arms and ammunition were recovered.
The Army’s White Knight Corps confirmed the operation on X.
Op Chhatru
— White Knight Corps (@Whiteknight_IA) April 11, 2025
Based on specific #intelligence, a joint search and destroy #operation along with @JmuKmrPolice was launched on 09 Apr in #Chhatru forest #Kishtwar.
Contact was established late evening on the same day. The #terrorists were effectively engaged and firefight ensued.… pic.twitter.com/QqTwQzoQE3
Lt Gen M.V. Suchindra Kumar, Northern Army Commander, also praised the security forces in a post on X.
Since April 9, security forces have also been searching for a group of militants hiding in the dense forest area of Jopher-Marta. Two to three militants are believed to be trapped, and the operation is going on with drones, sniffer dogs, and aerial surveillance in place.
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In March, three encounters took place, including a deadly clash on March 27 where two militants and four police personnel were killed. A deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and two other officers were injured.
Meanwhile, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was killed in Akhnoor's Keri Battal sector in an encounter with an infiltrating group of militants. The encounter started after the Army challenged the militants on Friday night. A JCO was injured in the encounter and later succumbed to injuries. The incident comes two days after India and Pakistan held a brigade commander-level flag meeting in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district to discuss issues related to the situation on the border.
