Eight Army Soldiers Injured in Kishtwar Gunfight with Terrorists

Jammu, Jan 2026 : Eight Indian Army soldiers sustained injuries on Sunday during a gunfight with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials confirmed. The clash took place in the Sonar village of the Chhatru area during a joint Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) launched after intelligence inputs about a group of terrorists hiding in the region.

According to officials, one of the search teams came across two to three foreign terrorists, reportedly affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit. The terrorists opened fire indiscriminately and also lobbed grenades in an attempt to break the cordon established by the security forces.

“The troops retaliated immediately, and reinforcements from the Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and local police were rushed in to further tighten the cordon. Intermittent firing continued until 5:40 p.m.,” officials said. Eight soldiers, most suffering splinter injuries from grenade blasts, were evacuated to a nearby hospital for treatment.

A massive search operation is underway to track and neutralize the terrorists. Advanced surveillance equipment, including drones and sniffer dogs, have been deployed to accelerate the operation.

This incident marks the third encounter between security forces and terrorists in Jammu this year. Earlier, encounters occurred in the Kahog and Najote forests in Billawar, 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 Majalta, Udhampur district.

Officials noted that the terrorists often exploit dense forests and darkness to escape, as seen during previous operations launched in December last year aimed at flushing out nearly three dozen holed-up terrorists in the Jammu region. Operations have been intensified ahead of Republic Day to ensure peaceful celebrations, amid intelligence warnings of attempts by Pakistan-based handlers to infiltrate additional terrorists into the region.

The Army’s Nagrota-based White Knight Corps confirmed the operation on X (formerly Twitter): “Operation Trashi-I: Contact was established with terrorists in the general area of Son Nar, northeast of Chhatru, during a deliberate search operation conducted as part of ongoing joint counter-terror operations along with @JmuKmrPolice. Troops displayed exceptional professionalism and resolve while responding to hostile fire under challenging terrain and conditions. Operations remain underway with additional forces inducted to reinforce the cordon, supported by close coordination with civil administration and security agencies.”

The hilly districts of the Jammu division, including Kathua, Poonch, Rajouri, Kishtwar, Doda, Udhampur, and Reasi, remain under high alert following intelligence inputs about the movement of Pakistani terrorists in the dense mountainous terrain. Despite multiple encounters, terrorists have repeatedly escaped by taking advantage of darkness and heavily forested areas.

A high-level security review in Delhi on January 8, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, discussed the presence of terrorists in these districts in detail. Home Minister Shah emphasized that coordinated, sustained, and intelligence-backed operations must continue to eliminate terrorists from the mountainous areas and prevent infiltration from across the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB).

The Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir extends 740 km, while the International Border covers 240 km. The Army guards the LoC in Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, and parts of Jammu district, while the Border Security Force (BSF) monitors the IB in Samba, Kathua, and Jammu districts.

Security forces continue to conduct search operations in the Kishtwar region, maintaining a tight cordon, with the aim of neutralizing the terrorists and preventing any threat to local communities.

This encounter highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s difficult terrain and underscores the sustained vigilance required to maintain peace and security in the region.