JCO among 3 security personnel injured in encounter in J&K’s Kishatwar

Three security personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), were injured on Nov 10 as terrorists attacked a joint team of security forces, who were conducting a search operation in the forests of Keshwan and Kuntawara in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district.

The operation is in progress to track down the terrorists, the army said.

The seek-and-destroy operation was launched on Nov 8 in the aftermath of the killing of two village defense guards (VDS) by militants earlier this week, a police officer said.

Around three to four terrorists opened fire on the search party on Nov 10 morning, injuring three personnel including the JCO, the officer added.
The injured soldiers were evacuated to hospital, he added.

Meanwhile, Nagrota-based White Knight Corps said in a post on X said, “On 10 Nov 24, based on specific intelligence input regarding the presence of terrorists, a joint operation was launched by security forces in the general area Bhart Ridge, Kishtwar. This is the same group that had abducted and killed 2 innocent villagers (village defense guards) in Kishtwar two days back. Contact was established and a firefight ensued. Operation is in progress.”

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the White Knight Corps along with commanders visited Kishtwar and the general area of Bharat Ridge to review the the ongoing operation.

The Kashmir Tigers, linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant outfit, had claimed responsibility for the killings of the village defense guards.

The area has witnessed militant movement for the past several months, a senior police officer was quoted as saying, adding, that during the recent Assembly elections, there had been exchanges of fire between militants and security forces in the area on at least two occasions.

Meanwhile, security forces exchanged fire with militants in Srinagar on Nov 10 morning. The security forces team was conducting search operations in the Zabarwan forest near Srinagar city following intelligence inputs about the presence of militants. No injuries have been reported in exchange of a firefight, a police officer said.