Minor girl injured as gun battle erupts between security forces and terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir’s Kathua

The gun battle broke out after security forces launched a search operation in the Sanyal village of the Hiranagar sector, located along the Indo-Pak border.

Srinagar: A minor girl was injured in an exchange of gunfire between security forces and heavily armed terrorists near the International Border (IB) with Pakistan in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

Sources revealed that the gun battle began after security forces launched a search operation in the Sanyal village of the Hiranagar sector, located along the Indo-Pak border. The operation followed reports of suspicious movements by two to three terrorists in the area.

The initial exchange of fire saw the terrorists managing to escape from the point of contact, they said. But security forces continued their efforts, which are expected to intensify on Monday. A cordon has been established around the forest area, and operations are ongoing to neutralize the terrorists.

A seven-year-old girl, identified as Anchal Kumar, was injured during the incident and was quickly rushed to the hospital. The exact cause of her injuries remains unclear.

Authorities suspect that the terrorists involved may be part of a newly infiltrated group attempting to cross into India from Pakistan. “Based on intelligence input regarding the presence of terrorists, a joint operation has been launched by police, and troops of Rising star corps on March 23 in general area Saniyal Hiranagar. Operations in progress,” the Army's Rising Star Corps said in a post on X.

Reinforcements were sent to the area as the terrorists are thought to be hiding in nearby forests, sources said. After crossing the border, the terrorists went to a house where a couple was living. The woman first fled, followed by the man, who raised the alarm.

The encounter comes amid heightened security forces’ vigilance following intelligence reports of potential infiltration attempts along the border.

Last year, 75 terrorists were reportedly killed in Jammu and Kashmir, with 60% of them being Pakistani nationals. This includes 17 terrorists killed during infiltration attempts along the Line of Control (LoC) and the IB, as well as 26 terrorists killed during encounters in the interior areas.