A report from Jammu said that reinforcements including the special forces of the Army, J&K police's counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF) have arrived in the area to joing the operation against the militants
SRINAGAR: Three militants were killed and three critically injured members of the J&K police's counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) succumbed to their injuries during an ongoing gunfight in the Jakhole of Ghati Juthana, Rajbagh, in Jammu and Kashmir’s frontier district of Kathua on Thursday.
Two security personnel were injured. Late Thursday night, police sources indicated a possibility that a fourth militant may also have been killed.
A local news agency mentioned the names of the slain policemen as Tariq Ahmad, Jaswant Singh, and Balwinder Singh, senior-grade constables.
Among the injured were DySP (Border) Dheeraj Katoch, and a Para Commando. The three SOG cops were airlifted to military hospitals in Udhampur and Pathankot.
Locals reported suspicious movement in the forested area near Jakhole. A police party led by a sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) moved in to launch a cordon-and-search operation. Contact was established between security forces and the militants, triggering a fierce gun battle. In the initial exchange of fire, DySP Katoch and three other police personnel were wounded.
Two militants were killed, and another security personnel was injured. By late evening, a third militant was also declared eliminated, with sources suggesting a possible fourth fatality on the militant side.
Additional forces, including the Army’s special forces, J&K Police’s counterinsurgency SOG, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), rushed to the site to join the operation. The area, dense with foliage and marked by a nearby rivulet, posed significant challenges, leading to intensified combing efforts throughout the day.
The Jakhole site is located about 30 kilometers from the Sanyal woods, where a brief encounter on Sunday left a seven-year-old girl injured. Authorities believe the same group of militants, who reportedly evaded a massive search operation in Sanyal, may be engaged in the current standoff.
On March 23, local women in Sanyal alerted the police about the presence of five armed men, prompting a cordon-and-search operation. A brief exchange of fire ensued, but the militants managed to flee. Subsequent searches yielded weapons, including M4 carbine magazines, grenades, and materials for making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
J&K Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat has been overseeing the operations personally, with the Army, Border Security Force (BSF), and National Security Guard (NSG) commandos involved. Helicopters, drones, UAVs, sniffer dogs, and bulletproof vehicles have all been deployed to neutralize the heavily armed militants.
As of late Thursday, the encounter was still underway, with security forces maintaining a tight cordon in the area. Further details on the condition of the remaining suspects and security personnel are expected as operations continue into the night.
