Fresh encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua; police personnel injured

Police personnel injured in gunfight with terrorists in Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir during ongoing anti-terror operation.

A police personnel was injured on Thursday (March 27, 2025) in a fresh gunfight with terrorists in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir where a massive anti-terror operation is underway for the last four days, officials said.

The gunfight erupted this morning when the security forces spotted the terrorists near Jakhole village in Ghati Juthana area of Rajbagh, some 30 km from the scene of Sunday’s (March 23, 2025) encounter in Hiranagar sector.

Also Read | Search operations in J&K’s Hiranagar enters fourth day

Officials said reinforcements had been rushed and an exchange of fire between the two sides was going on when last reports were received.

The terrorists are believed to be the same group that escaped in Hiranagar sector after a gunbattle lasting more than half-an-hour on Sunday (March 23, 2025) evening when a a Special Operations Group (SOG) of police launched an operation after getting intelligence input about their presence inside a 'dhok', a local term for an enclosure in a nursery in Sanyal village near the International Border with Pakistan, they said.

A massive search operation involving the police, army, NSG, BSF, and CRPF armed with technical and surveillance equipment and supported by helicopter, UAVs, drones, bulletproof vehicles, and sniffer dogs continued to track down the terrorists, who are believed to have infiltrated on Saturday (March 22, 2025) via either the ravine route or through a newly created tunnel from across the border.

The security forces extended the search operation particularly the routes leading to Billawar forest and were successful in tracking down the terrorists, the officials said.