Jammu, Jan 19: A soldier of the Special Forces was killed in a fierce gun battle in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, Army said on Monday.

The White Knight Corps said on X "The GOC, 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 Singpura area during the ongoing Operation TRASHI-I on the night of Jan 19, 2026."
"We honour his indomitable courage, valour and selfless devotion to duty and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this hour of profound grief," it further posted.
Meanwhile, a joint team of security forces launched a massive search operation on Monday morning to track down terrorists hiding in the forests of Singhpora in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.
A gun battle erupted between security forces and terrorists on Sunday in the area following a tip-off about the presence of two to three terrorists of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad in the forest area. A team of the Army, police, and Special Operation Group launched searches.
The terrorists fired upon the search party, which returned the fire.
Eight soldiers suffered injuries, primarily due to splinter injuries caused by a sudden grenade attack by terrorists.
“The search operation resumed in the early morning, supported by drones and sniffer dogs,” they said, adding that the area has been cordoned off.
This encounter marks the third conflict 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.
On December 15 last year, a police officer was killed in an encounter with terrorists at Soan village in the Majalta area of Udhampur district. The terrorists managed to escape, taking advantage of thick foliage and darkness. The encounters followed a major counter-terrorist operation launched in the forest belts of the Jammu region in December last year to flush out nearly three dozen holed-up terrorists.
Operations have been further intensified in the run-up to Republic Day to ensure peaceful celebrations.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha paid homage to Havildar Gajendra Singh of the Indian Army’s Special Forces, who attained martyrdom during the ongoing anti-terror operation in Kishtwar.
“I salute the supreme sacrifice of our Braveheart Havildar Gajendra Singh. His supreme sacrifice will remain etched in our hearts. The entire nation stands in solidarity with the bereaved family of our martyr in this difficult hour,” the Lieutenant Governor said.