Contact re-established with terrorists as Operation Trashi enters 13th day in J&K's Kishtwar

Even as the ongoing Operation Trashi entered its 13th day on Saturday, security forces re-established contact with terrorists holed up in the Dolgam area of the mountainous Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir early in the day.

The Army said intelligence inputs from all sources were coordinated to plan and execute the operation on the ground.

"During the ongoing joint Operation Trashi-I, contact with terrorists was re-established in the early hours of January 31 in the general area of Dolgam by troops of the White Knight Corps, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the CRPF," the White Knight Corps said in a post on X. A cordon has been established and operations are in progress, it added.

This is the fourth time in the past fortnight that contact has been established with terrorists in the area.

Suspects Detained for Questioning

Police have detained a few suspects for questioning as part of an intensified hunt for terrorists hiding in the dense forest areas of the district. Sources said two to three persons have been detained in connection with the ongoing investigation.

A soldier of the Indian Army laid down his life during a brief encounter that broke out on January 18 in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar, following which security forces launched a massive search operation to track down the terrorists.

Despite heavy snowfall and harsh weather conditions, joint teams of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and paramilitary forces have tightened the cordon in the dense forests of Singhpora and adjoining areas to prevent the terrorists from escaping.

Security forces continued combing operations on Saturday, with additional troops deployed to seal possible escape routes. According to sources, the operation was further intensified after the destruction of a major terrorist hideout in the Singhpora forest belt.

Sustained pressure on the terrorists also led to another brief exchange of fire late on January 25, indicating that the terrorists remain trapped within the cordoned zone.

Search parties are systematically scanning high-altitude areas, mountain tracks and deep ravines in the forested terrain. Troops are carrying out round-the-clock patrols despite snow-covered roads, slippery conditions and sub-zero temperatures.

Additional deployments have also been made in Singhpora, nearby villages and other sensitive locations as a precautionary measure to ensure area domination and prevent any movement of terrorists.

Internet Services Suspended

Authorities have temporarily suspended mobile internet services in some parts of Kishtwar as security forces intensified the anti-terror operation to neutralise terrorists believed to be associated with the proscribed outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

Officials said mobile internet services have been snapped within a six-kilometre radius covering Singhpora, Chingam and Chatroo to prevent misuse by anti-national elements during the ongoing operation.

According to reports, joint operation teams sighted three JeM terrorists in the snowbound high-altitude area of Dolgam, leading to an exchange of fire. One terrorist is believed to have been injured, with drone surveillance reportedly indicating bloodstains at the site.

This marks the fourth time in the past two weeks that contact has been established with terrorists in the area.

Meanwhile, Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma visited Kishtwar to review the counter-terrorism grid as the ongoing operation to neutralise a group of three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists holed up in the district continues.

The latest operation comes just a week after a Pakistani terrorist linked with Jaish-e-Mohammad was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Kathua district, police said.