J&K: 2 terrorists killed in 'Operation Trashi-I' in Kishtwar, 'war-like stores' recovered

Two terrorists were killed on Sunday in an ongoing operation by security forces in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

The operation, titled Trashi-I, broke out in the Chatroo belt of Kishtwar at around 11 AM after the Indian Army, the Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) acted on "credible intelligence inputs" about the presence of terrorists in the region.

The terrorists had been cooped up inside a mud house and opened fire on the Indian troops approaching carefully. The Indian side retaliated with an intense gunfight.

"Displaying tactical precision, seamless synergy and resolute aggression, troops dominated the encounter site wherein two terrorists have been successfully neutralised," the Indian Army's White Knight Corps wrote in an X update on the encounter.

The White Knight Corps added that it had also recovered "war-like stores" which included two AK-47 rifles, from the possession of the slain terrorists, suspected of belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

The Chatroo forest belt has been host to nearly half a dozen encounters between terrorists and security forces over the past month alone.

This also comes a week after the Jammu and Kashmir Police raised an alert stating that JeM ‘commander’ Saifullah was active in Kishtwar, after his reported escape from the region.

“As we know an (anti-terror) operation was launched more than a month ago in Kishtwar’s Chatroo. One terrorist was killed in the operation. However, the main commander, Saifullah, is still alive and is planning to escape from the region,” said Sandeep Mehta, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Doda, on February 14.