8 soldiers injured in gunfight with Jaish terrorists in J&K's Kishtwar
Army troops engaged with terrorists in Kishtwar's forests in Jammu region during Operation Trashi-I, with forces tightening the cordon and continuing a large-scale search operation.
At least eight Army personnel were injured in an exchange of fire with terrorists in a dense forest area in the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Sunday, officials said.
An intense gunfight broke out after the Indian Army launched Operation Trashi as part of its counter-terror exercise to wipe out the terrorists from the area. Reinforcements have been deployed to strengthen the cordon and neutralise the terrorists.
According to sources, the security forces had the preliminary information that a few terrorists, allegedly belonging to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) group, were hiding in the area. Based on the information, they launched the operation around noon on Sunday. The White Knight Corps, the Jammu-based Indian Army unit, named the military activity "Operation Trashi-I".
As the hunt intensified, one of the search teams came across a group of two to three terrorists, who fired indiscriminately and also lobbed a few grenades in an attempt to break the cordon. The troops retaliated, and reinforcements from the Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police were rushed to further tighten the cordon.
There was intermittent firing between the two sides for some time, news agency PTI reported, citing some of the Army officials.
Following the exchange of gunshots, around eight soldiers suffered splinter injuries and were subsequently evacuated to the hospital. A massive search operation is presently underway.
Authorities have pressed advanced surveillance tools, including drones and sniffer dogs, into service to intensify and accelerate the operation.
In a post on X, the White Knight Corps mentioned that the security forces came in contact with the terrorists in the general area Sonnar, northeast of Chatroo, during a deliberate search operation conducted as part of ongoing joint counter-terror exercises along with Jammu and Kashmir Police.
"Operations remain underway with additional forces inducted to reinforce the cordon, supported by close coordination with civil administration and security agencies," the Army said.
The latest gunfight is the third such encounter in the Jammu region this year. Earlier, security forces clashed with terrorists in the Kahog and Najote forests of Kathua district on January 7 and again on January 13.
With Republic Day approaching, operations have been stepped up across the region following intelligence inputs that Pakistan-based handlers are making renewed attempts to infiltrate more terrorists, officials said.
At least eight Army personnel were injured in an exchange of fire with terrorists in a dense forest area in the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Sunday, officials said.
An intense gunfight broke out after the Indian Army launched Operation Trashi as part of its counter-terror exercise to wipe out the terrorists from the area. Reinforcements have been deployed to strengthen the cordon and neutralise the terrorists.
According to sources, the security forces had the preliminary information that a few terrorists, allegedly belonging to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) group, were hiding in the area. Based on the information, they launched the operation around noon on Sunday. The White Knight Corps, the Jammu-based Indian Army unit, named the military activity "Operation Trashi-I".
As the hunt intensified, one of the search teams came across a group of two to three terrorists, who fired indiscriminately and also lobbed a few grenades in an attempt to break the cordon. The troops retaliated, and reinforcements from the Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police were rushed to further tighten the cordon.
There was intermittent firing between the two sides for some time, news agency PTI reported, citing some of the Army officials.
Following the exchange of gunshots, around eight soldiers suffered splinter injuries and were subsequently evacuated to the hospital. A massive search operation is presently underway.
Authorities have pressed advanced surveillance tools, including drones and sniffer dogs, into service to intensify and accelerate the operation.
In a post on X, the White Knight Corps mentioned that the security forces came in contact with the terrorists in the general area Sonnar, northeast of Chatroo, during a deliberate search operation conducted as part of ongoing joint counter-terror exercises along with Jammu and Kashmir Police.
"Operations remain underway with additional forces inducted to reinforce the cordon, supported by close coordination with civil administration and security agencies," the Army said.
The latest gunfight is the third such encounter in the Jammu region this year. Earlier, security forces clashed with terrorists in the Kahog and Najote forests of Kathua district on January 7 and again on January 13.
With Republic Day approaching, operations have been stepped up across the region following intelligence inputs that Pakistan-based handlers are making renewed attempts to infiltrate more terrorists, officials said.