Security forces on Wednesday gunned down two militants in an operation in Khandara of Jammu’s Kathua, a rare success coming after a weeks-long manhunt spread over several districts in the region.
“Two Terrorists Neutralised in the Ongoing Operation at Khandara #Kathua by Troops of Rising Star Corps. Operations in progress,” the army’s Himachal-based Rising Star Corps said in a post on X.
According to a PTI report, the bodies of the two militants — believed to be from Pakistan and affiliated to the Jaish-e-Mohammad — had been recovered. An M-4 carbine, an AK assault rifle, a pistol and a large quantity of ammunition and eatables had also been seized.
Parts of Kathua are areas of responsibility for the Himachal-based Corps.
Although two infiltrating militants were killed in Jammu on Tuesday, success has been eluding forces in the interiors of the district where militants have carried out a spate of attacks.
This was the first successful operation against the militants in the dense forest which witnessed over half a dozen encounters in the past six months, claiming the lives of a village defence guard on April 28 and a CRPF inspector on August 19.
Officials said Wednesday’s operation was meticulously planned and commandos were involved from the outset after pinpointing the location of militants hiding in upper reaches.
The operation was jointly launched by the army and the police in the early hours of
the day and the first contact with the terrorists was established around 12.50pm, leading to a fierce gunfight, the officials said.
The PTI report said one more terrorist is believed to be trapped in the Khandara top area and efforts are on to neutralise him.
Dozens of battle-hardened militants are believed to be active in different Jammu districts, taking advantage of its dangerous topography to hide from forces.
Militants had carried out one of the deadliest attacks on forces in Kathua on July 8 in which five soldiers were killed and five injured. It is not clear whether the same group of militants was involved in the attack.
