Encounter breaks out in J&K’s Kishtwar; two Jaish terrorists believed trapped

Srinagar: An encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in a remote forest area of Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

Officials said the gunfight erupted around noon during a cordon and search operation at village Sonnar near Mandral-Singhoora in the Chatroo area, launched following ‘specific intelligence inputs’ about militant presence.

As security forces tightened the cordon, the terrorists opened fire, triggering an exchange of gunshots.

Reinforcements have been rushed to the area and additional troops have sealed off the dense forest belt to prevent any escape. Sources said two terrorists belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit are believed to be trapped, though the operation was still underway at the time of filing this report.

The encounter comes amid heightened security concerns across Jammu and Kashmir following a spate of suspected cross-border drone sightings along the Indo-Pak border over the past week.

Officials said multiple drones were detected in the border districts of Poonch and Samba, prompting security forces to activate their anti-unmanned aerial systems on Thursday night.

In Poonch, drones were seen hovering close to forward posts along the Line of Control, leading to the immediate implementation of counter-drone measures. Another drone was sighted near the International Border in the Ramgarh sector of Samba district.

Earlier, on Tuesday night, Army personnel opened fire after several suspected Pakistani drones were spotted entering Indian airspace from across the Line of Control in Rajouri district, highlighting what security agencies describe as an uptick in aerial activity often linked to infiltration and arms-dropping attempts.

Further details are awaited as the Kishtwar operation continues.