Kishtwar, Feb 22: Security forces have launched a massive cordon-and-search operation in Kishtwar’s Chatroo region following a Sunday morning encounter with terrorists. The clash originated during a pre-dawn sweep conducted by the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police after receiving reports of suspicious movement in the high-altitude terrain.
As the joint forces narrowed their search to a specific forested patch, they were met with a barrage of bullets. A senior security official declared that the encounter was triggered by the terrorists in an attempt to break the security net. “Our teams reacted swiftly to the unprovoked firing and have successfully pinned the targets down within a specific radius,” the official noted.
The intensity of the exchange prompted the administration to rush further personnel to the site to bolster the existing cordon. Officials stated that the rugged nature of the landscape has made the operation a cautious one, though the forces have maintained a steady pressure on the cornered individuals.
“We are monitoring the situation closely as the exchange of fire persists,” a police representative asserted. The representative further maintained that the operation would continue until the area is fully cleared of any hostile presence. Local residents have been advised to stay away from the encounter site as the gunfight shows no signs of an immediate conclusion.
