Top JeM commander among two terrorists killed during encounter in J&K's Kishtwar

Security forces achieved a significant breakthrough in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Sunday after two terrorists were killed in a fierce gunfight in the Chatroo forest belt. Among those eliminated was Saifullah Baloch, a top commander of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), who had been on the most-wanted list in the Union Territory.

Saifullah Baloch, who carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh, was considered a key figure in terror activities in the region. According to officials, he was trapped during a coordinated operation and killed in the ensuing exchange of fire. The second terrorist, whose identity is yet to be officially disclosed, was also neutralised during the encounter.

The terrorists were reportedly hiding inside a nomadic hut in the Passerkut area of the Chatroo belt. The structure caught fire amid the intense gunbattle, and their charred bodies were later recovered from the site.

Joint Operation in Snow-Covered Terrain

The Army stated that the terrorists were eliminated during ‘Operation Trashi-I’. The mission was jointly carried out by the Indian Army, the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG), and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The gunfight erupted after security forces launched a search operation based on intelligence inputs indicating the presence of two to three terrorists in the forest area. Contact was established with the hiding militants on Sunday morning, leading to the final confrontation. Arms and ammunition, including two AK-47 rifles, were recovered from the encounter site.

Security forces have been conducting search and combing operations in the snow-bound Chatroo forest belt for the past 15 days. Notably, the area witnessed nearly half a dozen encounters last month, resulting in the deaths of one soldier and a terrorist.

The latest operation marks a crucial step in ongoing efforts to dismantle terrorist networks operating in the region.