8 Army Jawans Injured as Fresh Gunfight Breaks Out in Kishtwar; Operation Trashi-I Launched
Grenade attacks lead to heavy exchange of fire; cordon strengthened as reinforcements rushed
JAMMU, Jan 18: Yet another gunfight broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Sonnar area of Chatroo in Kishtwar district this afternoon, leaving eight Army personnel injured. Reinforcements from the Army, paramilitary forces and police were rushed to the spot to cordon off the area.
According to reports, an Army team had moved to the upper reaches of Sonnar following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists. During the search of a house, terrorists positioned on higher ground lobbed two grenades at the security personnel and opened fire.
The troops immediately retaliated, leading to a gun battle that continued for some time. Additional personnel from the Army, paramilitary forces, police and SOG were rushed to the area, and search operations were intensified.
The operation continued till late evening and was later halted due to darkness. It is scheduled to resume early tomorrow morning. Eight Army jawans were injured in the initial grenade attacks and firing, of whom three were airlifted to the Military Hospital in Udhampur.
Sources said the Army had specific information about the presence of three foreign terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in the Sonnar area, based on which the operation was launched.
The operation, named ‘Operation Trashi-I’ by the Army’s Nagrota-based White Knight Corps, began around noon. The cordon is being further strengthened to prevent terrorists from escaping under the cover of darkness and dense forest terrain.
In a post on X, the White Knight Corps said contact was established with terrorists during a deliberate joint search operation conducted with the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Advanced surveillance equipment, including drones and sniffer dogs, has been deployed to aid the operation.
This is the third encounter in the Jammu region this year. Earlier encounters were reported in the Billawar area of Kathua district on January 7 and 13. Security operations have been intensified ahead of Republic Day in view of intelligence inputs about possible infiltration attempts. (Agencies)
