Terrorist Neutralised in Kathua Encounter as Massive Search Operation Continues

The Searches were Intensified as Intelligence Reports Suggest that Terrorists are Still Operating in Various Places across J&K

The security forces on Friday (January 23, 2026) killed one terrorist in a joint operation of the Army, the CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir police in the state's Kathua district. The eliminated terrorist was affiliated with the Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit, the police said.

Kathua Encounter

The operation was launched in the general Billawar area after receiving specific intelligence inputs. The security forces cordoned off the area. Contact was established with the terrorist, and he was killed in a precise strike.

“A Pakistani Jaish terrorist has been neutralised by a small JKP team in a joint operation with the Army and CRPF in the general area of Billawar, Kathua district,” Jammu inspector general of police BS Tuti said.

Continuous Search Operations in J&K

In Jammu and Kashmir, eight soldiers of the Army were injured in a gunfight with terrorists in a remote forested area in the upper reaches of Kishtwar district in the last week. The injured soldiers were evacuated to the hospital. Most of them suffered splinter injuries in the grenade blast. The intense exchange of fire between the two sides lasted several hours before the guns fell silent. 

The operation, which the Army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps has named ‘Operation Trashi-I’, began around noon. 

In a post on X, the White Knight Corps said the security forces came in contact with the terrorists in the general area of Sonnar, in Chatroo, during a search operation conducted as part of ongoing joint counter-terror exercises along with J&K Police.

“Operations remain underway with additional forces inducted to reinforce the cordon, supported by close coordination with civil administration and security agencies,” the Army said.

One of the search teams came across a group of two to three foreign terrorists allegedly belonging to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), who fired indiscriminately and also lobbed a few grenades in an attempt to break the cordon.

Final Thoughts

A massive search operation is on to track and neutralise the terrorists since Operation Sindoor. Reinforcements have been deployed to strengthen the cordon and neutralise the terrorists. 

Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi recently addressed in a press conference "As you may be aware, Operation Sindoor remains ongoing, and a future misadventure will be resolutely responded to."