NEW DELHI: A terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Friday night, while a separate search is underway in Udhampur to track three others, Army officials said.
The security forces have broadened their surveillance to include the Bhaderwah area of Doda district to monitor terrorist movements across the hilly districts of the Jammu region.
DIG of Kishtwar-Doda-Ramban Range, Shridhar Patil confirmed that operations in the area have been ongoing for three days.
“One terrorist was eliminated this morning”, he informed reporters in Kishtwar.
He stated that other terrorists in the area are surrounded and operations will persist until all are neutralised.
Officials reported that the confrontation in Kishtwar occurred during a joint Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police intelligence-led search-and-destroy operation in the district’s Chatru forest area.
The forces made contact with the terrorists during the operation.
“The terrorists were effectively engaged, and a firefight ensued. One terrorist has been neutralised so far,” stated the Army’s White Knight Corps or 16 Corps on X.
“Despite hostile terrain and adverse weather, our brave soldiers continue relentless operations,” it added.
Officials indicated that security forces have strengthened surveillance in Bhaderwah’s high-altitude areas of Doda district, as melting snow in elevated meadows facilitates summer infiltration.
In the past 19 days, five confrontations occurred in the mountainous Kathua-Udhampur-Kishtwar terrain. These resulted in three terrorist casualties, four police personnel deaths, and injuries to three police personnel and a girl.
Officials confirmed that search operations resumed in the Jopher-Marta forests of Udhampur district on Friday.
They added that multiple security agencies are thoroughly searching the forest area using sniffer dogs and aerial surveillance to locate three terrorists concealed in the region.