The 36-day-long Operation Trashi in the higher reaches of Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir concluded on Sunday with the elimination of three terrorists, taking the total number of terrorists killed in the operation to four.
Although higher-ups of the security forces have maintained a guarded silence, reports said that dreaded terrorist of proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) Saifullah has been eliminated in the gun battle.
Saifullah was operating across the mountainous belt of Kishtwar, Doda, Udhampur, and Kathua, and was accused of masterminding and executing several deadly attacks targeting civilians as well as security personnel. Active for nearly four years, he has repeatedly managed to evade the security dragnet by exploiting difficult terrain and local support networks.
According to intelligence inputs, Saifullah had infiltrated into Indian territory with the objective of reviving terrorism in the Chenab Valley—comprising Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban districts—and expanding terror activities into Udhampur and Kathua.
Security officials revealed that he played a crucial role in coordinating infiltration attempts, facilitating the movement of terrorists to safe hideouts, planning attacks, and recruiting Over Ground Workers (OGWs) to sustain and expand the terror network in the region.
Trashi Operation started on Jan 18
The first contact with the terrorists was established on January 18, following which security forces launched Operation Trashi-I. Four terrorists were neutralised in the two phases of the operation. One more militant was killed on February 5, and three others were eliminated today, marking the culmination of the sustained anti-terror offensive.
The Indian Army’s White Knight Corps, based in Jammu, confirmed that the third terrorist in today’s encounter was neutralised in the rugged terrain of Kishtwar district during Operation Trashi-I. The joint operation was carried out amid intensified counter-terror efforts in the region.
Earlier in the day, two terrorists were killed in an encounter, while the remains and weapon of the third militant were later recovered by security forces.
In a post on X, the White Knight Corps stated: “In continued operations under #OpTrashi-I in Kishtwar, troops of CIF (D) #WhiteKnightCorps, in coordination with @JmuKmrPolice and #CRPF, have neutralised the third terrorist. The remains and the weapon of the terrorist have been recovered. The pursuit continues — no space, no sanctuary for those who seek to undermine stability.”
The Corps said actionable intelligence inputs regarding militant presence in the dense forest belts of the Chatroo area were received from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Army sources.
“Pursuant to credible intelligence inputs collated from #JKP, #IB and own intelligence sources, a deliberate joint operation was launched in the Kishtwar region under Operation Trashi-I to track and neutralise terrorists operating in the area,” the statement added.
Contact with the terrorists was re-established around 11:00 am in difficult terrain. Troops of the Counter-Insurgency Force (CIF) Delta, in close coordination with the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), engaged the militants in a firefight, leading to the neutralisation of two terrorists. Security forces recovered two AK-47 rifles and other war-like stores from the site.
Reiterating its resolve, the Corps said the hunt would continue and that those attempting to disturb peace would find no sanctuary.
Operation Trashi-I, launched in January, focused on the forested and mountainous belts of Chatroo, Sonnar, Dolgam, and Dichhar in Kishtwar district. The operation involved multiple cordon-and-search missions combined with targeted engagements. Security forces are continuing area domination and search operations to ensure that no militant presence remains in the region.
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