Fresh encounter breaks out in J&K's Kishtwar amid heavy snowfall; search for JeM terrorists underway

The encounter is part of an ongoing operation to track a group of three Pakistani terrorists linked to the proscribed JeM outfit, who have been evading security forces despite heavy snowfall in the region. (File photo)

• Fresh encounter underway in Kishtwar between security forces and JeM terrorists
• Security forces trapped 2-3 JeM militants in Singhpora area after specific intel
• Pakistani JeM commander Usman killed in Kathua; arms and ammo recovered

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A fresh encounter broke out late Sunday night between security forces and terrorists in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, marking the third gunfight in the Chatroo belt of the hilly district in the past week, officials have stated.

The exchange of fire began around 10.20 pm when a joint search party of the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police was conducting operations in the Janseer-Kandiwar forest area. "Security forces returned fire after coming under attack, and an intermittent exchange of gunfire is continuing," an official said.

The encounter is part of an ongoing operation to track a group of three Pakistani terrorists linked to the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit, who have been evading security forces despite heavy snowfall in the region. The Chatroo belt has received more than two feet of snow in recent days, officials said.

The hunt began after an encounter on January 18 in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora, in which a paratrooper was killed and seven other soldiers were injured. The terrorists managed to escape by taking advantage of dense vegetation and difficult terrain and were intercepted again a few kilometres away on January 22, but slipped away once more. Search operations continued despite the severe weather conditions, as per officials.

According to sources cited in a News18 report, during Sunday’s operation, the Indian Army and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Kishtwar managed to trap two to three terrorists in the Singhpora area. “All the trapped militants are believed to be members of the Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit,” sources said, adding that the operation was launched based on specific intelligence inputs.

Separately, a Pakistani terrorist affiliated with JeM was killed in a gunfight with security forces in the Billawar area of Kathua district on Friday, officials said. In a statement, the Rising Star Corps of the Indian Army said a joint operation was carried out by the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police in the general area of Parhetar in Kathua district on January 23.

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu zone, Bhim Sen Tuti, stated that the slain militant was a Pakistani national and a JeM commander, identified as Usman. “A substantial cache of arms and ammunition, including an M4 automatic rifle, was recovered from the terrorist,” the IGP said.

Security forces have intensified counter-terror operations across the Jammu region and said search operations will continue until the remaining militants are neutralised.