Operation Trashi-I: JeM terrorists survived on Maggi, rice in Kargil-style bunker at 12,000 ft in J&K’s Kishtwar

Multiple teams of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF, supported by drones and sniffer dogs, are combing the area despite difficult terrain marked by thick forests and steep slopes.

• JeM terrorists hid for months in a fortified bunker at 12,000 ft in Kishtwar, J&K.
• Security forces raided hideout, sparking deadly encounter and ongoing search.
• Four locals detained for aiding terrorists; security tightened before Republic Day

Did our AI summary help?

Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists were surviving on Maggi noodles, rice and fresh vegetables inside a Kargil-style fortified bunker perched at an altitude of over 12,000 feet in the rugged mountains of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, security officials said after the hideout was busted earlier this week.

The stone-lined bunker, designed to withstand encounters and extreme weather, had sheltered the terrorists for months.

As per officials cited in an NDTV report, the recovered cache from the hideout revealed a well-planned winter survival strategy. This includes around 50 packets of instant noodles, 20 kg of fine-quality basmati rice, grains, cooking gas, dry wood, tomatoes, potatoes and nearly 15 varieties of spices, supplies sufficient to sustain at least four people through the winter.

The bunker is believed to have been used by JeM commander of Pakistani origin, Saifullah, and his deputy Adil, states the report.

According to security agencies, the construction of such a fortified structure with multiple entry points and the transportation of large quantities of rations to such heights would not have been possible without local assistance.

The hideout was discovered during a joint cordon-and-search operation in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo belt on Sunday. When troops closed in, the terrorists lobbed grenades, injuring seven soldiers before fleeing into dense forest cover.

Army Special Forces commando Havildar Gajendra Singh later succumbed to his injuries.

Following the encounter, security forces launched Operation Trashi-I to track down the terrorists. The massive search operation entered its third day on Tuesday, with officials saying two to three JeM militants are believed to be hiding in the higher reaches of the area.

Multiple teams of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF, supported by drones and sniffer dogs, are combing the area despite difficult terrain marked by thick forests and steep slopes. The Army’s White Knight Corps said the cordon has been further tightened and search operations expanded.

The busting of the bunker has exposed a suspected overground support network. Four locals have been detained for questioning so far, as security agencies attempt to identify those who allegedly helped the terrorists procure and transport rations, utensils and other supplies.

Senior officers, including Inspector General of Police (Jammu Zone) Bhim Sen Tuti and Inspector General of CRPF (Jammu) R Gopala Krishna Rao, are camping at the encounter site to supervise the operation.

A wreath-laying ceremony was held in Jammu on Tuesday to pay tribute to Havildar Gajendra Singh, after which his mortal remains were sent to his hometown in Uttarakhand for last rites.

Security has been stepped up across the Jammu region ahead of Republic Day amid intelligence inputs warning of attempts by Pakistan-based handlers to push more terrorists into the region.