Army Commander Visits Kishtwar, Commends Troops for Anti-Terror Efforts
The Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma visited Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday to oversee the counter-terrorism operations and praised the troops for their unwavering dedication in the ongoing mission against terrorism.
Currently, a firefight is in progress to eliminate a group of three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists who are holed up in the district.
His visit to the mountainous district follows a comprehensive security assessment of the changing security landscape in the Jammu region, with a particular emphasis on strengthening the counter-terrorism strategy, as reported by officials.
“Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, Army Commander of the Northern Command, visited Kishtwar today to evaluate the counter-terrorism strategy and operational readiness,” announced the Northern Command Headquarters.
During his interactions with ground commanders and troops, the Army commander lauded their unwavering commitment in the ongoing operations.
Earlier in the week, the Northern Army commander presided over a high-level security meeting in Jammu to analyze the evolving security situation in the region, focusing on bolstering the counter-terrorism measures, officials disclosed.
The relentless effort to track down and neutralize the group of three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists in the snow-covered Chatroo area is ongoing.
As a precautionary measure during the operation, mobile internet services were temporarily suspended within a 6 km radius covering Singhpora, Chingam, and Chatroo to prevent any misuse by anti-national elements.
The operation commenced on January 18 in the Sonnar forest near Mandral-Singhpora, resulting in the unfortunate loss of a paratrooper and injuries to seven soldiers during a fierce gunbattle as the terrorists exploited the dense vegetation and challenging terrain to escape.
Despite over 2 feet of snowfall, security forces continued their pursuit with two additional encounters taking place at Mali Dana Top on January 22 and Janseer-Kandiwar on January 25, with the terrorists once again managing to evade capture deep into the forested area.
Kishtwar has witnessed six encounters in the last seven months as the security forces intensify their crackdown on Pakistan-based terrorists operating in the region, which shares borders with Doda and Udhampur districts.
