Kamal Ghorui
JAMMU: Security forces shot dead a Pakistani terrorist belonging to the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit in Billawar, in J&K’s Kathua district, even as Operation Trashi-I entered its sixth day on Friday, IGP Bhim Sen Tuti said.The slain ultra, Usman, was one of the most-wanted Jaish terrorists who had been active in the Udhampur-Kathua belt for the past couple of years after having infiltrated into India. “He had escaped several encounters in the past, with the latest ones on Jan 7 and Jan 13, in the forests of Kahog and Najote,” an official said.
The Army’s Rising Star Corps, in an X post, stated that earlier in the day, a joint team of the Army, CRPF and J&K Police launched a counter-terrorism operation in Kathua’s Parhetar area based on intelligence inputs. While combing a house, the search party came under fire, triggering an encounter in which Usman was killed in close combat.The fire exchange lasted only a few minutes, officials said, terming the encounter a breakthrough for security forces.With three more Jaish ultras believed trapped in the region, troops continued their hunt under Operation Trashi-I, combing the forests of Sonnar, Mandral-Singhpora and adjoining areas in Chatroo belt, notwithstanding treacherous terrain and harsh weather conditions, including snowfall.Operation Trashi-I was launched on Jan 18. That night, an intense gunfight between security personnel and terrorists in Sonnar village near the LoC left eight soldiers injured. One of them, Army Special Forces Commando, Havildar Gajendra Singh, succumbed Jan 19 — the first security force death in a counter-terrorism operation in the Union Territory in 2026.On Jan 20, the cordon was strengthened with the help of aerial surveillance and sniffer dogs, following which, the troops busted a well-concealed terrorist hideout and recovered large quantities of rations, utensils, and consumables. Three-four locals from Sonnar village were detained for questioning, as officials suspected that running such a setup would not have been possible without local help from overground workers.On Jan 21, additional forces were rushed to the operation site to fortify the cordon and block possible escape routes. Amid increased vigil ahead of Republic Day, joint teams of security forces conducted door-to-door searches in localities with a high concentration of Burmese (Rohingyas) and Bangladesh nationals in Bhatindi-Narwal-Rajiv Nagar areas on the outskirts of Jammu, as well as in Rajouri, Poonch, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur and Doda districts as a precautionary measure.After a three-day lull, fresh contact was established with terrorists on Thursday in Kishtwar’s Singhpora. Heavy fire was exchanged between both sides before the ultras managed to escape further into the woods. Meanwhile, in Jammu’s Akhnoor sector, security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation following the alleged sighting of terror suspects in Sumah locality the night before.Operation Trashi-I is the third this year in Jammu division, following clashes earlier this month in Kahog and Najote forests of Billawar in Kathua, south of Pir Panjal range.Kishtwar, a remote district east of the Chenab and south of Kashmir Valley, saw intensified counter-terrorism efforts in 2025 as forces tracked Pakistan-based terrorists through steep terrain and thick forests. At least six gun battles were reported there over seven months. On May 22, an Army trooper was killed and two others wounded in Chatroo. Weeks earlier, three Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were shot dead in the same area.Security officials said Kishtwar sits astride a traditional infiltration corridor, with terrorists crossing from Pakistan via Kathua and moving through Udhampur and Doda before heading towards Kashmir valley, using forest cover to evade detection.
