Two Pakistani terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammad group, who were spotted in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, were killed in an encounter by the security forces. Several powerful explosions were heard when the forces stormed the cave around noon.
In a precise strike, Army personnel destroyed a cave hideout in the Basantgarh area, eliminating two JeM terrorists, including their top commander, Rubani alias Abu Mavia, who was active in the area for the last several years, officials said.
While body of one of the terrorists was lying on the entrance of the cave, another was found lying deep inside it.
The over 20-hour long operation operation, codenamed ‘Kiya’, was launched in a remote forest area in Basantgarh on Tuesday after the Jammu and Kashmir Police provided specific intelligence about the presence of terrorists in that area.
A joint team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Counter-Intelligence Force Delta of the Indian Army under the White Knight Corps, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) carried out the counter-terror operation in the Jophar Forest area of Basantgarh.
Sniffer dogs fitted with cameras were used to trace the terrorists, while intermittent firing continued through the night as security forces closed in on their hideout.
Security forces fired rocket-propelled grenades at the cave’s entrance, killing both terrorists. A large quantity of arms and ammunition, including an M4 carbine and an ak assault rifle, were recovered from the slain terrorists.
The White Knight Corps wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) “Contact with terrorists was established yesterday and since then, terrorists were prevented from breaking contact. Following a calibrated and coordinated response, two terrorists have been successfully neutralised. The operation highlighted seamless inter-agency coordination, tactical precision and high standards of professionalism.”
The Army said "Operation concluded successfully. Area remains under surveillance. We Serve, We Protect!”
Officials said heavy gunfire and loud blasts were heard in the Jaffer, Gujrada, and Chigla Balotha forests for over an hour. One terrorist was injured in the exchange. He and his associate then managed to retreat and take shelter inside a cave.
Heavy firing and explosions were reported briefly around 7.30 pm when the terrorists tried to escape under the cover of darkness. Army reinforcements, including paratroopers and dog squads, were quickly rushed to the spot to further tighten the security cordon.
The night passed without any firing, but security forces kept strict vigil over the area, especially around the cave. Drones were used for surveillance before launching the final assault on the hideout this morning.
The terrorists had been active in the area for months and were allegedly planning to set up a base and stock supplies. Their elimination has brought relief to locals.
This was the second encounter in Udhampur since December 15, when a policeman was killed in an encounter at Soan village. At that time, the terrorists had managed to escape by taking advantage of dense forest cover and darkness.
In January, a series of encounters took place, including three in Kathua district and four in the Chatroo forest belt of Kishtwar. These operations led to the killing of top JeM terrorist Usman from Pakistan in Kathua, while a paratrooper was killed in Kishtwar during intense operations to track down terrorists in the upper reaches of the Jammu region.
Officials said Usman was part of the same terrorist group eliminated in Udhampur and had separated from the group after the Soan encounter.
The operation marks a major success for security forces in the fight against terrorism, coming just hours before Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir to review the security situation and launch several development projects.
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