*Search operations stepped up; drones, sniffer dogs being used
Hideout being used for past some time busted, eatables found
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 19: A paratrooper, who was among the Army soldiers injured during gunfight with terrorists at village Sonnar near Mandral-Singhpora belt in Chatroo area of Kishtwar district yesterday, succumbed to his injuries today while security forces destroyed a hideout of the terrorists in the same area which had LPG cylinder, ration and other eatables indicating that it was being used for past few days.
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The martyr soldier has been identified as Havildar Gajendra Singh of Uttarakhand, a paratrooper, who was among the eight Army soldiers injured at Sonnar yesterday during gunfight with the terrorists. He along with two others was airlifted to the Military Hospital Udhampur where he succumbed to his injuries.
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Body of the martyr is being sent to his native town with full military honours.
“Other injured soldiers are responding to the treatment,” the officials told the Excelsior.
Though the search operation involving multiple security agencies including Army, paramilitary forces, police and SOG continued in Sonnar and surrounding upper reaches, sources said the terrorists, who were apparently three in numbers and were affiliated to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit, managed to escape taking cover of darkness and forest area during last night.
“Efforts to track them down in adjoining belts continued,” they said.
However, security forces destroyed a hideout in Sonnar area which was being used by the terrorists for shelter. Recoveries made from the hideout include gas cylinder, rations items, utensils, ghee, eggs, Maggi packets and cigarettes etc.
“The operation by security forces was based on specific information about presence of the terrorists. During searches in a house, the terrorists from atop a hill first lobbed two grenades and then opened firing on the Army personnel who immediately retaliated leading to exchange of gunfight,” the sources said.
The operation was suspended late Sunday night and resumed early Monday in the challenging terrain with thick vegetation and steep slopes, limiting visibility and movement.
In a post on X, the White Knight Corps said ‘Operation Trashi-I’ continues in Chatroo. “The cordon has been further tightened with search operations expanded. Troops of the Corps, along with police and CRPF, remain deployed to dominate the area.”
Multiple teams of the Army, police, and paramilitary forces, supported by drones and sniffer dogs, are combing the surrounding areas of Sonnar while maintaining a tight security cordon to ensure that the terrorists do not escape further and are neutralized at the earliest, the officials said.
A group of at least three terrorists allegedly affiliated with Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) are believed to be hiding in the area, they said, adding the operation resumed with the first light of day and was ongoing when the last reports were received but no further exchange of firing was an indication that the terrorists have slipped to another area during the night.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today paid homage to Havildar Gajendra Singh of the Indian Army’s Special Forces, who was martyred during the ongoing anti-terror operation in Kishtwar district.
“I salute the supreme sacrifice of our braveheart Havildar Gajendra Singh. His supreme sacrifice will remain etched in our hearts. The entire nation stands in solidarity with the bereaved family of our martyr in this difficult hour,” Sinha said.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi also paid tribute to Havildar Gajendra Singh.
In a post on X, the ADGPI wrote, “General Upendra Dwivedi, COAS, and All Ranks of the Indian Army salute braveheart Havildar Gajendra Singh, who made the supreme sacrifice in a Counter Terrorism Operation at Singpura, Jammu & Kashmir. Indian Army offers deepest condolences and stands in solidarity with the bereaved family in this hour of grief.”
“The General Officer Commanding, White Knight Corps and all ranks pay solemn tribute to Havildar Gajendra Singh of the Special Forces, who made the supreme sacrifice while gallantly executing a counter terrorism operation in the Singpora area during the ongoing Operation Trashi-I.
“We honour his indomitable courage, valour and selfless devotion to duty and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this hour of profound grief,” the Army said in a post on X.
Army’s Northern Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma also paid homage to the braveheart, and said “his sacrifice and devotion will forever remain etched in our hearts”.
Terming the action ‘Operation Trashi-I’, the Army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps, in a post on X on Sunday, said security forces came in contact with the terrorists in the general area Sonnar, northeast of Chatroo, during the search operation conducted as part of ongoing joint counter-terror exercises along with Jammu and Kashmir Police.
This marks the third encounter between security forces and terrorists in the Jammu region this year. Previous encounters occurred in the Kahog and Najote forests in the Billawar area of Kathua district on January 7 and 13, respectively.
On December 15 last year, a police officer was killed in an encounter with terrorists at Soan village in the Majalta area of Udhampur district. The terrorists managed to escape, taking advantage of thick foliage and darkness.
The encounters followed a major counter-terrorist operation launched in the forest belts of the Jammu region in December last year to flush out nearly three dozen holed-up terrorists.
Operations have been further intensified in the run-up to Republic Day to ensure peaceful celebrations, amid intelligence inputs about desperate attempts by Pakistan-based handlers to push more terrorists into the region.
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