A gun battle broke out between terrorists and security forces in Kishtwar forest area on Wednesday while another anti-terror operation was launched by troops in Poonch.
“In an intelligence-based operation, launched in coordination with the Jammu and Kashmir Police early this morning, alert troops of the White Knight Corps established contact with terrorists in the general area of Chhatru,” the White Knight Corps said in a post on X.
“The operation is in progress,” it said.
Sources said the joint search operation was launched by troops after receiving inputs about the presence of two to three terrorists at Kalaban forest area of Chatru in Kishtwar today.
“During the search operation, troops came under fire from terrorists. A soldier was injured in the gunfight and he has been hospitalised,” they said.
They said after the gunfight, the terrorists fled to the deep forest area and troops used drones and UAVs to track down their movement.
“The operation continued throughout the day,” sources said.
Kishtwar has seen six encounters in the past seven months.
On September 21, a group of terrorists was engaged in a gunfight in the Chhatru area.
On September 13, two army men, one of them a junior commissioned officer, were killed and two more injured in an encounter with terrorists in the Naidgram area of Chhatru.
Violent confrontations took place in Dul and Chhatru belts on August 11 and July 2, but the terrorists managed to escape.
On May 22, a soldier and two terrorists were killed in an encounter in the Singapore area of the Chhatru belt.
On April 12, three terrorists were killed in an encounter in the Kishtwar area, while the army foiled an infiltration bid by terrorists along the LoC in the Akhnoor sector.
Meanwhile, security forces today launched a search operation following suspicious movement in the border areas of Balakote-Mendhar area of Poonch district.
The operation was jointly launched by Special Operations Group (SOG), army and the CRPF.
“The forces are on high alert and locals have been urged to share any information about suspicious movements in their areas,” sources said.
On Tuesday, troops recovered a suspicious drone in the Sakhi Maidan border area of Mendhar.