2 Pakistani JeM terrorists killed in J&K’s Udhampur encounter, suspected OGW detained

JAMMU: Two Pakistani nationals affiliated with the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) were killed and a suspected over-ground worker (OGW) was detained during a joint counter-terrorism operation in the forested high-altitude areas of Majalta in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district, officials said on Thursday.

The operation, involving the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was launched in the Brattal Sohan and Khubban forest areas near the Kathua border following intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists. The operation was conducted amid heavy rain, difficult terrain and poor visibility.

The J&K Police identified the slain terrorists as Saddam and Mustafa, both Pakistani nationals affiliated with JeM. The White Knight Corps said the operation began during the intervening night of September 16 and 17 after confirmed intelligence inputs indicated terrorist presence in the area.

According to the Army, security forces established a cordon around the suspected area at about 9 pm on Wednesday. Initial firing and explosions were reported shortly afterwards. After a lull during the night, the terrorists allegedly opened heavy fire on Thursday morning while attempting to break the cordon, prompting the deployment of additional forces.

An AK-series assault rifle with four magazines, an M4 carbine with three magazines, a Glock pistol with two magazines and four grenades were recovered from the encounter site, police said.

The security forces continued search and surveillance operations in the area to ascertain whether any other terrorists remained in the dense forests. The Army said its personnel remained deployed to address any further threat.

A local man suspected of being an OGW associated with JeM was detained for questioning, officials said. Further details about the alleged support network were not immediately available.

Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma commended the White Knight Corps for the operation and stressed coordination among the Army, police and CRPF in the counter-terrorism effort.

The encounter is the second major counter-terrorism operation reported in Udhampur this year. In February, two Pakistani terrorists, including a self-styled commander identified as Rubani alias Abu Mavia, were killed in the Ramnagar forests.

The latest operation comes amid continued security surveillance and searches across the mountainous Kathua-Udhampur-Doda belt, where security agencies have previously reported terrorist movement and hideouts in difficult forest terrain.

Security forces were continuing searches in the Brattal Sohan-Khubban area when the latest reports were received.