Jammu

Several individuals were detained for questioning as a massive search operation to flush out terrorists entered the third day in the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Tuesday, officials said.

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

The terrorists escaped deep into the forest area, but their well-fortified hideout, packed with a large quantity of winter stock, including eatables, blankets and utensils, was busted.

Senior officers, including Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone, Bhim Sen Tuti and Inspector General of CRPF, Jammu, R Gopala Krishna Rao, also reached the encounter scene and are currently camping there along with several army officers to supervise the operation.

Meanwhile, a solemn wreath-laying ceremony was held here to pay tributes to the slain Special Force Commando, Havildar Gajendra Singh, in Jammu on Tuesday morning.

The wreath-laying ceremony at Satwari was led by Brig Yudhvir Singh Sekhon, Officiating Chief of Staff, White Knight Corps, and later, the mortal remains of the deceased were dispatched to his hometown in Uttarakhand for the last rites, the officials said.

Deputy Inspector General of Police, Jammu-Kathua-Samba range, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Rakesh Minhas and several police, CRPF and BSF officers also attended the wreath laying ceremony.

On Monday afternoon, several individuals were taken in for questioning in connection with the busting of the hideout, located at an altitude of over 12,000 feet, officials said.

Security forces are trying to identify the overground workers (OGWs) who assisted the terrorists in procuring and transporting large quantities of rations, pulses, utensils, and other supplies, which were enough to provide sustenance for at least four persons during the winter months.

In a post on X on Monday, the army's White Knight Corps said Operation Trashi-I continues in Chatroo.

"The cordon has been further tightened with search operations expanded. Troops of the corps, along with Police and CRPF, remain deployed to dominate the area," the army said.

The official further noted that multiple teams of the army, police, and paramilitary forces, supported by drones and sniffer dogs, are combing the area despite challenging terrain marked by thick vegetation and steep slopes, limiting visibility and movement.

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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.

Operations have been intensified across the Jammu region 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.