Jammu, Sep 17: Two Pakistani terrorists of the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit were killed and an alleged over-ground worker was detained in a remote high-altitude area in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district, officials said on Thursday.
The joint operation by the Army, police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was conducted in the dense Brattal Sohan and Khubban forests of Majalta, bordering Kathua district, amid heavy rain, they said.
The Army and police confirmed the killing of the two terrorists in the operation, with the latter identifying the slain ultras as Saddam and Mustafa, both Pakistani nationals.
“In a joint intelligence-based operation during the intervening night of September 16-17, confirmed inputs indicated the presence of terrorists in the general area of Brattal, Udhampur. Despite hostile weather, difficult terrain and poor visibility, troops of White Knight Corps, Police and CRPF launched a targeted counter-terrorism operation, resulting in the neutralisation of two terrorists.
“The operation is still in progress, with search and surveillance continuing in the area. Security forces remain deployed to track and neutralise any remaining threat,” the Jammu-based White Knight Corps of the Army said in a post on X.
In a separate post on X, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said the two neutralised Pakistani JeM terrorists were identified as Saddam and Mustafa.
An AK-series assault rifle with four magazines, an M4 carbine with three magazines, a Glock pistol with two magazines and four grenades were seized from the scene of the gunfight, police said.
Army’s northern commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma lauded the White Knight Corps for its swift, precise and professional action in neutralising the two terrorists.
“The successful intelligence-based operation, conducted in seamless synergy with Police and CRPF, once again underscores the strength of joint inter-agency coordination in the counter-terrorism grid. Northern Command remains steadfast in its resolve to ensure a terror-free Jammu and Kashmir,” the Udhampur-based command said in a post on X.
The officials said police and security forces were looking for a group of terrorists after their movement was noticed in a forest area last week.
The security forces cordoned off a particular area around 9 pm on Wednesday following fresh inputs, leading to the initial contact.
A few rounds of firing and blasts were heard shortly after the operation began, the officials said, adding that the area, however, remained largely quiet through the night, before the lull ended on Thursday morning, when the terrorists opened heavy fire in an attempt to break the cordon.
Reinforcements were rushed to the area and the search operation was continuing when the last reports came in, they said.
The officials said both the slain terrorists are believed to be Pakistani nationals, adding that a US-made M4 carbine and an AK-series assault rifle, along with a large quantity of ammunition, were seized from the scene of the gunfight.
A local man, believed to be an over-ground worker (OGW) of the JeM, has been detained for questioning, they added.
This was the second major encounter in Udhampur district this year. In February, two Pakistani terrorists — including self-styled commander Rubani alias Abu Mavia, who was active in the area for years — were killed in the Ramnagar forests.
Over the years, the difficult mountain terrain of the Kathua-Udhampur-Doda belt was used by JeM terrorists to establish hideouts and evade security forces after infiltrating from across the border.
However, security forces have dismantled these networks to deny terrorists safe passage and shelter in the upper reaches, the officials said.
They said the relentless operations have resulted in the elimination of a large number of terrorists active in the region, including several Pakistani nationals.
Security agencies are also maintaining heightened surveillance and launching searches in remote forest areas based on intelligence inputs and assessments of possible terrorist movement.
In Doda, four terrorists and five security personnel were killed in separate encounters in 2025, while four terrorists and a security personnel were killed in adjoining Kishtwar district this year, compared to the deaths of three terrorists and a security personnel last year.
Kishtwar recorded the deaths of three security personnel and two civilians in 2024.
In Udhampur, four people — two terrorists, a security personnel and a civilian — were killed in 2024, while 2025 saw the deaths of a terrorist and three security personnel.
Kathua recorded the highest number of casualties among the four districts in 2024 with the deaths of two terrorists and seven security personnel.
The following year, seven people — three terrorists and four security personnel — were killed, while 2026 has so far witnessed the death of one terrorist. (PTI)
