Army officer, three JeM terrorists killed in separate encounters in J&K

Srinagar: An Army junior commissioned officer (JCO) and three terrorists were killed in two separate incidents over the past 24 hours in Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting a renewed surge in militant activity in the Union Territory (UT).

In the first incident, a fierce gunbattle broke out late Friday night in the Keri Bhattal area of Jammu’s Akhnoor sector during an infiltration attempt and ceasefire violation by the Pakistani army.

According to officials, Army troops spotted a group of heavily armed terrorists moving near a stream in a forested area along the Line of Control (LoC). When challenged, the infiltrators opened fire, leading to a gunfight.

A JCO sustained critical injuries in the exchange and later succumbed to them. Additional forces were rushed to the area, and a massive search operation is currently under way, they said.

The incident marks a significant violation of the 2021 India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement and comes just two days after brigade-level talks between the two sides in Poonch aimed at de-escalating border tensions.

In a separate operation in Kishtwar district, three terrorists affiliated with Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) were killed during a counterterrorism operation in the Naidgam area of Chatroo. Among them was a top commander, Saifullah, who had reportedly been active in the Chenab Valley for over a year and involved in several terror plots.

The operation began Friday morning based on intelligence inputs, leading to a prolonged gunfight. One terrorist was neutralized on Friday, while Saifullah and another terrorist were killed Saturday morning, despite difficult weather conditions.

“In the ongoing operations at Chhatru, Kishtwar, despite bad and inclement weather, two more Pakistani terrorists have been eliminated. A large quantity of war like stores including one AK and one M4 rifle have been recovered," the Army's Jammu-based White Knight Corps posted on X.

Meanwhile, a separate search operation continues in the Basantgarh and Ramnagar areas of Udhampur district, where security forces are tracking a group of three terrorists suspected to be hiding in dense forest terrain.

In recent months, Jammu has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, particularly in the districts of Kathua, Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar, Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch. These areas, once considered relatively peaceful, have now become focal points for terror operations, with increased infiltration from across the border and frequent encounters between security forces and terrorists.