J&K: Three terrorists killed
A dreaded commander of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist outfit was among two terrorists who were smoked out of their safe hideout inside a natural cave, and killed in a 20-hour-long operation by a joint team of security forces without suffering any collateral damage in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur on Wednesday.
Security forces claimed one of the terrorists killed in the Operation Kiya has been identified as Rubani alias Abu Mavi, a top commander of the JeM. Mavi has been active in the area for the past several years.A large quantity of arms and ammunition, including an M4 carbine and an AK assault rifle, were recovered from the slain terrorists. Confirming the killing of two terrorists in the Operation Kiya, a Nagrota-based White Knight Corps said in a post on X, “Based on specific intelligence input provided by police, troops of Counter-Intelligence Force (Delta), White Knight Corps planned and executed a focused joint counter-terror operation in the general area of Jophar Forest, Basantgarh in coordination with police and CRPF reinforcing the cordon, ensuring effective area domination to prevent escape of terrorists”.
Security forces also gunned down the third terrorist in the general area of Dichhar, Kishtwar, during an ongoing operation late Wednesday evening.
“In the continuing search and elimination of terrorists in the Kishtwar region, where the hunt has already led to several contacts in the dense forests and challenging terrain, contact was re-established with the terrorists on the run in the ongoing joint Operation Trashi-I, by the troops of CIF Delta WhiteKnightCorps, Jammu Kashmir Police and CRPF at around 5.45 pm today in the general area of Dichhar, Kishtwar. One terrorist has been successfully neutralised. Operation is in progress”, White Knight Corps posted on X. This is the second successful anti-terrorist operation in the Jammu region since January 1, 2026.
Earlier, another JeM terrorist identified as Usman was eliminated in a swift operation by the security forces in the Parhetar village of Billawar tehsil, Kathua district, on January 23.
According to official sources, a group of terrorists were trapped by the security forces on Tuesday during their ongoing search operations launched in the area based on specific information about the movement of suspected terrorists in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur.
The security forces further tightened the cordon after capturing the movement of terrorists on camera, hiding inside a cave. As the operation continued, the terrorists attempted to break the cordon but failed to do so due to the thick presence of security forces in the jungle area. The operations were halted overnight. However, Army reinforcements, including paratroopers and dog squads, were rushed in to tighten the cordon.On Wednesday, the security forces launched a fresh offensive to neutralise the terrorists hiding inside the natural cave. According to local reports, multiple blasts were heard in the close vicinity of the encounter site on Wednesday before the duo were neutralised.
“Contact with terrorists was established yesterday, and since then, terrorists have been 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’s White Knight Corps said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, anti-terrorist operations launched in the Chatroo forest area of Kishtwar district have been going on to hunt down the terrorists on the run since January 18.On January 18, 2026, a Para Commando Havildar Gajendra Singh, hailing from Uttarakhand, sacrificed his life in the line of duty after terrorists lobbed a grenade and also opened indiscriminate firing from multiple directions to inflict maximum casualties.
On December 15, 2025, Amjad Ali Khan, a jawan of the special operations group of Jammu and Kashmir police, also sacrificed his life in the line of duty in the thickly forested belt of Soan under the jurisdiction of Majalta police station during an anti-terrorist operation in Udhampur.
