Jaish comdr Saifullah among three dreaded terrorists killed by Army in Kishtwar gun battle
M4 carbine, snatched AK 47 rifle among seizures
*Hideout blasted, bodies charred; sniper dog Tyson injured
In a major success, Army today gunned down three dreaded terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) including their top commander Saifullah, who escaped during many encounters earlier, at Wanipora, Passarkut in Chatroo area of Kishtwar district
The success came after troops identified a mud hideout where the three terrorists, who were on the run for past quite some time especially after one of their colleagues was killed on February 4, had taken shelter. After surrounding the area from all sides and ensuring that there was no civilian movement in the area, the Army blasted the hideout eliminating all three terrorists inside,” the officials told the Excelsior.
Bodies of the terrorists were badly charred as the hideout caught fire during heavy exchange of gunfight earlier in the day.
While one of the terrorists in the group of four was killed in the Chatroo hills on February 4, another had been hit by a bullet in the leg and turned slightly handicap. All three terrorists were neutralised by the Army including para commandos today.
“Saifullah, a dreaded commander of Jaish outfit who was operating in Doda, Kishtwar, Kathua and Udhampur districts for past more than four years and had escaped during several gun battles with security forces, was among the three slain terrorists,” the sources said.
This was also evident from the recovery of M4 Carbine and an AK-47 rifle, which had been taken by Saifullah with him from one of the encounters in Doda last year, from the site of encounter. M4 carbine is given by the Pakistan army to the terrorists commanders.
Besides M4 and snatched AK rifle, another AK weapon, large quantity of ammunition, explosives, eatables and other belongings of the terrorists have been recovered from the hideout.
Tyson, a sniper dog who helped detect the terror hideout, was hit by a bullet fired by the terrorists in his leg and was injured. However, Tyson did his job and was subsequently airlifted to the Military Hospital from the site of encounter.
Later, security forces recovered bodies of all three terrorists from the site of encounter in charred condition. They were burnt inside as the hideout caught fire during heavy exchange of gunfire.
Sources said security forces were chasing the terrorists in upper reaches of Chatroo and surroundings for past couple of months but they continue to shift hideouts. The terrorists were trying to cross over to Anantnag from Passarkut but the troops had blocked all routes despite snowfall and extreme chill in the mountains.
“This finally resulted into elimination of all three terrorists today,” the sources said.
Saifullah had reportedly infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir nearly five years ago and had since remained active in the region, allegedly masterminding several deadly attacks on security forces, including one in July 2024 that left four soldiers martyred.
Saifullah escaped a number of encounters in the past.
Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma complimented the White Knight Corps troops for their “swift and precise” action to neutralise the terrorists.
“The Army Commander commends the commanders and troops on ground for their persistence in challenging terrain and weather conditions. Northern Command remains committed to ensuring a terror-free Jammu and Kashmir,” the Army said in a post on X.
The terrorists were neutralised during the “Trashi-I” operation in the general area of Passerkut in the Chatroo belt and two AK-47 rifles, along with ammunition, seized.
“Pursuant to credible intelligence inputs collated from J-K Police, IB (Intelligence Bureau) 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.
“Following successful contact established earlier, troops of CIF (Counter-Intelligence Force) Delta, in close coordination with police and CRPF, re-engaged the terrorists today at approximately 11 am in challenging terrain,” the White Knight Corps said in a post on X.
Displaying tactical precision, seamless synergy and resolute aggression, the troops dominated the encounter site, the Army said.
“The hunt continues — those who seek to disturb peace will find no sanctuary,” it added.
The Chatroo forest belt has witnessed nearly half-a-dozen gunfights between terrorists and security forces since January 18, resulting in the martyrdom of a soldier and killing of a Pakistani terrorist. While the soldier lost his life on January 18, the terrorist was eliminated on February 4.
With the killing of the three terrorists today, a total of seven JeM ultras have been eliminated by security forces in separate encounters in the Jammu region this year. Earlier, two terrorists were killed in the Ramanagar forest in Udhampur on February 4 and one was neutralised in Parhetar village of Kathua on January 23.
Meanwhile, a truck driver was detained for questioning after some Pakistani contact numbers were found on his mobile phone during checking at the Pangdour Chowk in Samba district last evening.
The truck was on its way to Kashmir when police stopped it at a checkpoint and found several Pakistani numbers on the driver’s phone, the officials said, adding that further investigation is on