A gunfight broke out on Thursday morning between security forces and terrorists in the Singhpora area of Chatroo, Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir.

Initial reports suggest that a group of three to four terrorists are trapped in the area.

The region has been cordoned off by security forces who are now working to neutralize the threat.

An exchange of fire was reported between Security forces and terrorists in the Singhpora area of Chatroo in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Thursday morning, the police said. “Exchange of fire started between Security Forces and terrorists in the Singhpora area of Chatroo in Kishtwar,” Jammu and Kashmir Police said.

Further details are awaited.

Earlier on May 16, VK Birdi, Inspector General of Police for Kashmir Zone, said that six terrorists were neutralised in Jammu and Kashmir under two separate operations in Kelar, Shopian and Tral conducted by the Indian Army in coordination with Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

“In the wake of heightened terror activities in Kashmir Valley, all the security forces deployed here reviewed their strategies.

Following this review, there was an intensified focus on operations. On the basis of this intensified focus and coordination, we conducted two successful operations in the last 48 hours during which we had significant achievement. These two operations were conducted in the Kelar in Shopian and Tral areas, which resulted in the neutralisation of a total of six terrorists. We are committed to finish the terror ecosystem in Kashmir Valley,” the IGP Kashmir said.

Major General Dhananjay Joshi, GOC Victor Force, elaborated on the anti-terror operations in the Kelar and Tral areas and said that the challenge they faced was “rescuing” the civilian villagers.

“On May 12, we got information on the possible presence of a terrorist group in the higher reaches in Kelar. On the morning of May 13, on detection of some movement, our parties challenged the terrorists, who retaliated with fire. Our parties neutralised them. The second operation in Tral area was conducted in a border village. As we were laying a cordon at this village, the terrorists positioned themselves in different houses and fired at us. At this time, the challenge we faced was rescuing the civilian villagers. After this, three terrorists were neutralised,” Major General Joshi said.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, including a Nepali national, were killed, the Indian forces have intensified their operation against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.

In retaliation for the terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor, in which precision strikes destroyed terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) and eliminated nearly 100 terror operatives at key bases in Pakistan. Among the targets were Bhawalpur, the headquarters of Jaish, and Muridke, a key training base of Lashkar.

Terrorists Trapped in Kishtwar: An encounter between security forces and terrorists broke out early Thursday morning in the Singhpora area of Chatroo, located in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district.

Police sources said a group of three to four terrorists from Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is believed to be trapped in the area, following a joint cordon-and-search operation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Indian Army, and paramilitary forces.

The operation was launched after what authorities described as “precise intelligence input” provided by the local police. The trapped terrorists are thought to be part of the same group that recently escaped an earlier encounter in the same region.

“The cordon was tightened to engage the terrorists and to ensure that they are unable to escape. As the joint forces came closer, the hiding terrorists opened fire, triggering an encounter that is now going on. Three to four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists are reported to be holed up,” officials said.

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Naming the operation as ‘Op Trashi’, the White Knight Corps of the Indian Army in a post on its X handle said, “Contact has been established with #terrorists during a joint #operation with @JmuKmrPolice at #Chhatru, #Kishtwar today morning. Additional troops have been inducted, and operations are ongoing to neutralize the terrorists.”

Joint forces have started aggressive operations against terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers in J&K. These operations were intensified after April 22, when Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists segregated tourists on the basis of religion and killed 26 civilians, including 25 tourists and a local, in Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam.

The cowardly terrorist act outraged the entire nation. India launched precision-guided targeted attacks on terrorist infrastructure in Muridke near Lahore, Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Pakistan responded by heavy mortar shelling on the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, targeting civilian facilities.

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Three terrorists were killed in the two operations.

Major general Dhananjay Joshi, GOC Victor Force, elaborated on the anti-terror operations in the Keller and Tral areas and said that the challenge they faced was “rescuing” the civilian villagers.

“On May 12, we got information on the possible presence of a terrorist group in the higher reaches in Keller. On the morning of May 13, on detection of some movement, our parties challenged the terrorists, who retaliated with fire. Our parties neutralised them. The second operation in the Tral area was conducted in a border village. As we were laying a cordon at this village, the terrorists positioned themselves in different houses and fired at us. At this time, the challenge we faced was rescuing the civilian villagers. After this, three terrorists were neutralised,” the major general said.

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The encounter comes days after India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7, following which Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions.

The hostilities ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10.

Operation Sindoor was launched by India in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people, mostly tourists.