Encounter Breaks Out In Kishtwar; Security Forces Engage Terrorists In Operation Chhatru
The mountainous Kishtwar district, bordering Doda and Udhampur, has become a recent hotspot for militant activity. . Image courtesy: X.com/@Tar21Operator)
A fierce gun battle erupted early Wednesday morning (November 5, 2025) in the Chhatru area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials confirmed. The encounter began after an intelligence-based joint operation was launched by the Indian Army’s White Knight Corps and the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
“In an intelligence based operation, in concert with J&K Police, in early morning hours today, alert troops of White Knight Corps have established contact with terrorists in general area of Chhatru. Fire exchanged with terrorists. Operation is in progress,” the unit said in a post on X.
According to officials, security forces are engaged with at least two to three terrorists in the ongoing operation. An Agniveer in his early 20s, attached to 11 Rashtriya Rifles, is learnt to have sustained a minor injury during the exchange of fire. Reinforcements have been deployed as the cordon around the suspected area tightens.
Why is Kishtwar seeing a spike in terror activity?
The mountainous Kishtwar district, bordering Doda and Udhampur, has become a recent hotspot for militant activity. Over the past seven months, there have been six major encounters in the region, signalling a sustained counter-insurgency push by the security forces.
On September 21, 2025 a gunfight broke out in the Chhatru area. A week prior to that on September 13, two Army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer, were killed and two others injured during an encounter in Naidgram. On August 11 and July 2, encounters in Dul and Chhatru belts took place, during which terrorists managed to escape.
On May 22 this year, a soldier and two terrorists were killed in Singapore area of Chhatru. On April 12, 3hree terrorists were neutralised in Kishtwar; a separate infiltration bid along the LoC in Akhnoor was foiled.
The series of encounters underscores a renewed effort by Pakistan-based groups to infiltrate and regroup in the Chenab Valley region, even as security agencies maintain heightened surveillance.
With multiple successful counter-terror operations in recent months, the Indian Army and J&K Police are intensifying area domination and intelligence-based missions to prevent militants from re-establishing their networks.
