Srinagar, Jan 19: An army soldier was killed and several others injured in an encounter in the Kishtwar area of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said today.

“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 19 Jan 2026,” said the army, in a post on X.

“We honour his indomitable courage, valour and selfless devotion to duty and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this hour of profound grief.”

After a night-long halt, security forces resumed their search operation on Monday to track down terrorists believed to be hiding in the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials said.

The operation was launched in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo belt on Sunday, leading to a gunfight that left eight soldiers injured, primarily due to splinter injuries caused by a sudden grenade attack from the hiding terrorists.

The operation was suspended late Sunday night in the challenging terrain marked by thick vegetation and steep slopes, limiting visibility and movement, officials said.

Multiple teams of the army, police, and paramilitary forces, supported by drones and sniffer dogs, are combing the area while maintaining a tight security cordon to ensure that the terrorists are not able to escape, the officials said.

A group of two to three terrorists allegedly affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) are believed to be trapped in the area, officials said, adding the operation resumed with the first light of the day and was ongoing when the last reports were received.

Officials informed that there was no fresh contact with the terrorists.

Jammu, Jan 19: Army helicopters were pressed into service as security forces on Monday resumed a search and cordon operation in Kishtwar district to track down a group of terrorists believed to be hiding in the upper reaches of the area, officials said.

The operation, launched on Sunday in the Sonnar village area near Mandral–Singhpora in the Chatroo sector, was suspended late Sunday night due to difficult terrain and poor visibility.

Officials said the operation had escalated into an exchange of fire during the initial contact, in which eight security personnel sustained injuries after terrorists hurled a grenade.

The injured personnel were shifted to hospital for treatment.

With first light, joint teams of the Army, police and paramilitary forces resumed the operation and tightened the cordon to prevent any escape, officials said.

Drones and sniffer dogs are being used to comb the densely forested area, while Army helicopters are conducting sorties to maintain aerial surveillance over the operation zone.

According to intelligence inputs, two to three terrorists, suspected to be affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), are believed to be trapped in the area.

Officials said there had been no fresh contact with the terrorists since Sunday’s exchange of fire.

The operation was continuing, officials added. (KNS).

Jammu, Jan 19: After a night-long halt, security forces resumed their search operation on Monday to track down terrorists believed to be hiding in the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials said.

The operation was launched in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo belt on Sunday, leading to a gunfight that left eight soldiers injured, primarily due to splinter injuries caused by a sudden grenade attack from the hiding terrorists.

The operation was suspended late Sunday night in the challenging terrain marked by thick vegetation and steep slopes, limiting visibility and movement, officials said.

Multiple teams of the army, police, and paramilitary forces, supported by drones and sniffer dogs, are combing the area while maintaining a tight security cordon to ensure that the terrorists are not able to escape, the officials said.

A group of two to three terrorists allegedly affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) are believed to be trapped in the area, officials said, adding the operation resumed with the first light of the day and was ongoing when the last reports were received.

Officials informed that there was no fresh contact with the terrorists.

Named ‘Operation Trashi-I’, the army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps, in a post on X on Sunday, said the security forces came in contact with the terrorists in the general area Sonnar, northeast of Chatroo, during the search operation conducted as part of ongoing joint counter-terror exercises along with Jammu and Kashmir Police.

“Operations remain underway with additional forces inducted to reinforce the cordon, supported by close coordination with civil administration and security agencies,” the army said, commending the troops for their exceptional professionalism and resolve while responding to hostile fire under challenging terrain and conditions.

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, amid intelligence inputs about desperate attempts by Pakistan-based handlers to push more terrorists into the region, officials mentioned.

Rajouri, Jan 19: A 45-year-old woman was found tied with a rope inside a plastic bag in Rajouri district, police said.

The woman, Azeem Akhtar, was freed and rushed to the GMC Hospital in a serious condition late Sunday, they said.

The bag was spotted by some locals in an isolated stretch in the district’s Tandwal area.

The police are waiting for Akhtar to get better and give her statement.