J&K: Gunfight erupts in Kathua after sighting of terror suspects

JAMMU: A weapon conflict broke retired betwixt information forces and terrorists successful the forests successful the precocious reaches of Billawar, successful J&K’s Kathua district, connected Wednesday, wherever a radical of two-three ultras was suspected to beryllium hiding.

Around 4pm that evening, locals had reported spotting a panic fishy successful Kamad Nallah area.“On being alerted, a associated squad of information forces, including SOG Kathua and CRPF personnel, rushed to the country and launched a monolithic hunt operation. Holed-up terrorists opened occurrence astatine the hunt party, triggering an encounter. As the firefight erupted, the ultras ran into the forest,” an authoritative said.IGP (Jammu Zone) Bhim Sen Tuti, successful an X post, stated that the troops were relentlessly engaging the terrorists contempt “darkness, heavy vegetation and treacherous terrain”.

Officials said the country had been cordoned off. The cognition remained successful advancement till precocious Wednesday.Earlier this month, a colony defence defender (VDG) fired informing shots successful the aerial connected Jan 2, upon observing suspicious question adjacent his location successful Dessa village, Doda district, pursuing which information forces launched an anti-terror cognition successful the area. On Dec 31, 2025, a akin cognition was carried retired successful Dali colony successful Rajouri district’s Kalakote country based connected a VDG’s study astir suspicious movement.

A drawstring of counter-terror operations has been underway successful the precocious reaches of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts successful Chenab region, and the borderline areas on Udhampur and Kathua districts, to way and termination ultras connected the move. Such operations were besides continuing successful the 2 frontier districts of Rajouri and Poonch, and Reasi district, which shares a borderline with Rajouri-Ramban successful Jammu part and Kulgam successful southbound Kashmir.