Terror Hideout Busted in Kishtwar as Operation Trashi-I Continues: Ghee, Ration, Gas Cylinder Seized

Kishtwar Encounter: The security forces successfully busted a hideout belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar during the ongoing search operation. The search teams busted a terrorist hideout on Monday and recovered a large quantity of food items, including ration, ghee, utensils, gas cylinder and stove near the site of the gunfight in Kishtwar, officials said. The hideout was packed with rations for winter and was big enough to accommodate multiple people. The development comes a day after a gunfight erupted between security forces and terrorists, killing one paratrooper. An operation was launched in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo belt of Kishtwar on Sunday, where an encounter broke out between the forces and terrorists.

A group of two to three terrorists allegedly affiliated with Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) are believed to be hiding in the area.

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The operation was suspended late Sunday night and resumed early Monday in the challenging terrain with thick vegetation and steep slopes, limiting visibility and movement. Multiple teams of the Army, police, and paramilitary forces, supported by drones and sniffer dogs, are combing the area while maintaining a tight security cordon to ensure that the terrorists do not escape. In a post on X, the White Knight Corps said 'Operation Trashi-I' continues in Chatroo. "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."Eight soldiers have sustained injuries during the operation, primarily due to splinter from a sudden grenade attack. Meanwhile, one of the injured troopers, Havildar Gajendra Singh, succumbed to his injuries during treatment at a military hospital in Jammu during the intervening night of January 18 and 19. "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. We honour his indomitable courage, valour and selfless devotion to duty and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this hour of profound grief," the Army said in a post on X. Army's northern commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma also paid homage to the braveheart, and said "his sacrifice and devotion will forever remain etched in our hearts".This marks the third encounter between security forces and terrorists in the Jammu region this year. Previous encounters occurred in the Kahog and Najote forests in the Billawar area of Kathua district on January 7 and 13, respectively.