JeM Commander Among Two Militants Killed in Kishtwar Encounter

Jammu — A senior commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) was among two militants killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Sunday, officials confirmed.

The Nagrota-based White Knight Corps of the Indian Army stated on X that the operation, codenamed *Operation Trashi-I*, was launched based on credible intelligence inputs gathered from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Intelligence Bureau, and other sources.

According to the statement, troops of CIF Delta under the White Knight Corps, in coordination with the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), re-engaged the militants around 11:00 a.m. in challenging terrain. The forces neutralised two militants during the operation and recovered war-like stores, including two AK-47 rifles. The Army added that search operations in the area are ongoing.

Officials indicated that one of the deceased was a top JeM commander. The body of the slain militant was being retrieved at the time of reporting.

This marks the second encounter in the region this month. Earlier, a gunfight had erupted in the same forested belt on February 4. Over the past year, more than a dozen encounters have taken place in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar district.

Security agencies believe a group of foreign militants is active in the hilly districts of Kishtwar, Doda, and Udhampur, frequently shifting locations to evade intensified search operations by the Army, police, and CRPF.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed security forces to adopt a mission-mode approach to neutralise militants operating in the Jammu division and restore lasting peace in the Union Territory. During his recent visit to Jammu on February 7, he reiterated the need for complete normalisation of security conditions in the region.

— IANS