Gunfight Underway Between Security Forces and Terrorists in J&K’s Kishtwar District

Jammu: A gunfight broke out on Sunday between security forces and terrorists in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials confirmed.

The encounter began during a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) conducted by the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police in the Khankoo forest area, located between Dachhan and Nagseni, following intelligence inputs about terrorist presence.

“As the security forces approached the suspected hideout, terrorists opened fire, triggering a brief exchange of gunfire,” an official said.

Additional reinforcements have been rushed to the area, and search operations are ongoing to track down the terrorists.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army’s White Knight Corps, headquartered in Nagrota, posted on X (formerly Twitter):
“Based on specific inputs, an operation was launched by the Indian Army in the Hadal Gal area of Kishtwar Sector. Contact has been established with terrorists. The operation is currently in progress.”

Security forces have been intensifying operations across Jammu and Kashmir to dismantle the terrorist network, including Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and sympathisers.

This heightened offensive follows the April 22 terrorist attack in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam, where Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists killed 26 civilians, including 25 tourists and one local resident.

The brutal attack triggered nationwide outrage. In response, Prime Minister Narendra Modi granted the armed forces full freedom to retaliate.

This led to the launch of Operation Sindoor, during which Indian forces targeted and destroyed terrorist infrastructure deep inside Pakistan, including locations such as Muridke near Lahore, Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

A total of nine terrorist camps were destroyed, and subsequent strikes also targeted Pakistani military facilities, marking a significant escalation in India's counter-terror response.

With inputs from IANS