Fresh gunfight erupts in J&K's Kishtwar; jawan killed, 2 terrorists eliminated in ongoing operation

Two terrorists were gunned down on Thursday, May 22 in an ongoing encounter between security forces and terrorists in the Singhpora area of Chatroo in Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir. The firefight, which began around 7 a.m., is part of a larger counter-terrorism effort codenamed ‘Operation Trashi’, jointly led by multiple security agencies.

The Indian Army’s White Knight Corps confirmed the ongoing operation in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), adding that additional troops have been mobilised and that containment measures are in place to neutralise any remaining threats. All entry and exit routes to the encounter site have been sealed off as a precaution.

The joint team executing the operation includes troops from the elite Para SF, 11 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), 7th Assam Rifles, and the Special Operations Group (SOG) Kishtwar. Initial intelligence inputs suggest a group of three to four terrorists—believed to include a militant named Saifullah—were holed up in the dense Chatroo forests.

This latest encounter follows a series of successful anti-terror offensives across Jammu and Kashmir. Just a week ago, security forces eliminated three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operatives—Asif Ahmed Sheikh, Amir Nazir Wani, and Yawar Ahmad Bhat—during an operation in Nadir village, Tral, in Pulwama district. All three were confirmed residents of Pulwama.

Earlier, on April 13, three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were also killed in Zinpather Keller, Shopian. Among the slain militants were Shahid Kuttay and Adnan Shafi, both hailing from Shopian.

These intensified operations come in the wake of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, triggering a renewed crackdown on militancy across the Union Territory. As part of this broader anti-terror push, the authorities have also initiated demolition drives targeting properties linked to active and former militants.