Kishtwar (J&K), Feb 23: With yesterday’s killing of 3 hardcore Pakistani terrorists, including a so-called ‘Commander’, the security forces have eliminated an entire 7-member module of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit active in Kishtwar district of Jammu after a sustained pursuit lasting 326 days.
Significantly, a dog of the Indian Army, named ‘Tyson’, played a critical role in the success of yesterday’s operation and was injured.
The seven terrorists had infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir in April 2024 and during the last one-and-a-half years, the security forces established contact with them 17 times.
In three such armed engagements, the entire module, which called itself ‘Israel Group’, was neutralised by the security forces.
Officials said the killed terrorists were well-trained and equipped with a number of weapons, military-trade equipment and a large quantity of ammunition.
The security forces pursued this terror group since April last year following intelligence reports about their presence in Kishtwar region.
The hunt, jointly involving the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) and CRPF, was sustained in the inhospitable region through difficult conditions like snow and rains, besides the extreme winter cold.
In the initial phase of the 10-month-long hunt, three hardcore terrorists were killed in a fierce encounter in April 2025.
Other 4 members, including Commander Saifullah, of the terrorist group, however, remained at large but the security forces remained determined to track them down.
In January this year, there were intelligence inputs from JKP, IB and Indian Army sources regarding the movement of the remaining 4 terrorists of the group.
Acting on these, a Joint Counter Terrorist (CT) Operation was launched by the Indian Army along with JKP and CRPF, codenamed ‘Operation Trashi-I’, in the Chhatroo area of Kishtwar region to track and neutralise the terrorists.
On January 18, contact was established with the terror group and their well-prepared and stocked hideout was busted by the security forces, the Indian Army said.
On February 4, the fourth terrorist of the group, code named Adil, was killed by the security forces during their relentless pursuit.
Finally, the remaining three terrorists were tracked down to a ‘dhok’ (a mud house usually found in mountains) located on a set of steep slopes of a mountain unit and it was surrounded during the intervening night of February 21 and 22.
They were engaged by the security forces at around 11 AM yesterday and within a few hours, all the three were neutralised.
“The troops displayed exceptional tactical precision and swiftness, ensuring zero casualties among their own personnel,” said an Army statement.
The role of ‘Tyson’, an Army-trained dog, needs a special mention in the context of the successful operation.
It entered the Dhok to ascertain the presence of terrorists, who fired at it and injured it.
During the subsequent search of the area, war-like stores, including three AK-47 rifles, have been recovered along with bodies of the slain terrorists.
“Displaying high standards of tactical precision, seamless inter-agency coordination and resolute operational efficiency, Security Forces including JKP and CRPF, rigorously pursued the terrorist group in the challenging and rugged terrain and harsh weather conditions. The persistent actions of the security forces in this long duration large scale operation spanning over a month, the security forces have neutralised all four hard core terrorists,” the Army said.
“The operation reflected seamless coordination between the Army, CRPF and the Jammu and Kashmir Police, notably the SOG (Special Operations Group). Reinforcements, including special forces, were quickly mobilized. The Army utilized real-time surveillance drones and night vision equipment to track and contain terrorist movement, preventing any potential escape,” it added.
