Paratrooper dies in Kishtwar encounter as search ops intensify, terror hideout busted

The soldier, identified as Havildar Gajendra Singh of the Special Forces, died during treatment at a military hospital during the intervening night of January 18 and 19, officials said. He was among eight soldiers injured during a fierce exchange with terrorists in the Chatroo belt of Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The encounter broke out on Sunday in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora, where security forces had launched a search operation following intelligence inputs about terrorist movement in the area. The troops came under a sudden grenade attack, with splinters causing injuries to multiple personnel.

The Army confirmed the death in a post on X, paying tribute to the fallen paratrooper.

“The General Officer Commanding, White Knight Corps and all ranks pay solemn tribute to Havildar Gajendra Singh of the Special Forces, who made the supreme sacrifice while gallantly executing a counter terrorism operation in the Singpora area during the ongoing Operation Trashi-I,” the Army said.

“We honour his indomitable courage, valour and selfless devotion to duty and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this hour of profound grief,” it added.

Army’s Northern Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma also paid homage, saying the soldier’s “sacrifice and devotion will forever remain etched in our hearts”.

The Army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps said Operation Trashi-I was continuing in the Chatroo area, with the cordon further tightened and search operations expanded.

“The cordon has been further tightened with search operations expanded. Troops of the corps, along with police and CRPF, remain deployed to dominate the area,” the Corps said in a post on X.

Multiple teams of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and paramilitary forces, supported by drones and sniffer dogs, are combing the forested terrain to prevent the terrorists from slipping away.

During the searches, security forces busted a suspected terrorist hideout near the site of the gunfight. Officials said a large quantity of food items and logistics were recovered, including rations, utensils, a gas cylinder and a stove, indicating preparations for a prolonged stay during winter.

Officials believe a group of two to three terrorists, allegedly affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, is hiding in the area. The operation resumed with first light on Monday and was ongoing at the time of the last reports.

Earlier, the White Knight Corps said security forces came in contact with terrorists in the general area of Sonnar, northeast of Chatroo, during a joint search operation with the 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, praising the troops for their professionalism and resolve while responding to hostile fire in challenging terrain.

The Kishtwar operation marks the third encounter between security forces and terrorists in the Jammu region this year. Earlier encounters were reported in the Kahog and Najote forests in Kathua district’s Billawar area on January 7 and January 13.

On December 15 last year, a police officer was killed in an encounter with terrorists at Soan village in the Majalta area of Udhampur district, where the attackers managed to escape under the cover of darkness and dense foliage.

The recent encounters follow a major counter-terror drive launched across the forest belts of the Jammu region in December last year to flush out nearly three dozen terrorists believed to be holed up in the area.

Security operations have been further intensified in the run-up to Republic Day, amid intelligence inputs pointing to desperate attempts by Pakistan-based handlers to push more terrorists into the region, officials said.