Security personnel patrol a remote forested area, in Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir on March 28, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Security forces on Saturday (March 29, 2025) extended the ongoing search operation to new areas after the body of the fourth policeman and two slain militants were recovered from the scene of a gunfight in a remote forested area in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
Body of head constable Jagbir Singh was retrieved from Ghati Juthana forest in Rajbagh and was shifted to Jammu where a wreath laying ceremony for the deceased was held near police headquarters Gulshan Ground, they said.
Arms and ammunition recovered during a search operation to trace militants, in Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir on March 29, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
The officials said bodies of two Pakistani militants, believed to be affiliated with proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit, were also recovered along with war-like stores.
J&K CM attends wreath laying ceremony
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday (March 29) attended the wreath laying ceremony of a policeman who, along with his three colleagues, was killed in a two-day long gunfight with Pakistani militants in Kathua district.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah pays tribute to J&K Police personnel HC Jagbir Singh who lost his life during Kathua encounter, in Jammu and Kashmir on March 29, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
Mr. Abdullah led the wreath laying ceremony of head constable Jagbir Singh, incharge of police post Safiyan, at police headquarters Gulshan Ground in Jammu.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, Minister Satish Sharma, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat and other senior civil, police, CRPF, BSF and Army officers also laid wreaths at the coffin containing the remains of the fallen policeman.
‘Relentless operations since March 27’
The encounter in the area began on Thursday (March 27) morning and continued throughout the day on Friday (March 28). A total of four policemen and two recently infiltrated militants were killed, while the search for other members of the terrorist group is continuing for the third day on Saturday (March 29).
Earlier, officials had put the death toll of militants at three but the Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat late on Friday (March 28) evening clarified that only two militants and four policemen were killed in the encounter.
Bodies of three policemen — Balwinder Singh Chib, Jaswant Singh and Tariq Ahmed — were retrieved last evening and their wreath laying ceremony led by the DGP was held at District Police Lines Kathua before their bodies were handed over to their families.
The officials said security forces are sanitising the scene of the encounter while the search operation was extended to adjoining areas including Billawar heights to track down and neutralize the militants.
Massive operation to track infiltrating terrorists in J&K enters day 4
A major combing operation is underway in the forested areas of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district to track down a group of infiltrating terrorists. The operation, now on its fourth day, was sparked by a local woman’s report of two men in army uniform heading towards the forest. Security along the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway has been intensified, with a large-scale search spanning several kilometers, from Sanyal to Ding Amb. The operation involves multiple agencies, including the army, BSF, CRPF, and NSG, supported by helicopters, drones, and sniffer dogs.
The search has yielded grenades, ammunition, and tracksuits matching those worn by JeM terrorists killed in past encounters. Three suspects have been detained for questioning. The operation began after a gunfight with terrorists hiding in a nursery in Sanyal village, and a manhunt is ongoing to apprehend the infiltrators. The cooperation of local villagers has been instrumental, as they join forces with security personnel, urging others to stay vigilant.
| Video Credit:
The Hindu
Gunfire and deafening sounds of explosions were also heard near the scene of the encounter this morning as well but it was later clarified that the firing was deliberate by the security forces as part of the counter terror strategy and the blasts were the result of disposing off littered explosive material, the officials said.
“Relentless operations since March 27 have led to the elimination of two militants and recovery of war-like stores. The operation continues,” Army’s rising star corps.
The DGP confirmed this was the same group of militants which was earlier intercepted in Saniyal village near International border in Hiranagar sector on March 23 evening but managed their escape, resolving that his force will ensure that all terror groups are appropriately dealt with.
Terrorist encounter in J&K’s Kathua enters second day
The search operation against infiltrating terrorists in Kathua, Jammu, has entered its second day. Led by DGP Nalin Prabhat, security forces have deployed additional commandos, drones, and sniffer dogs to locate the terrorists hiding in dense jungles near the border. Villagers reported sightings, and a gunfight erupted on Sunday. The region remains on high alert as forces work to neutralize the threat. Watch for the latest updates on this developing operation.
| Video Credit:
The Hindu
Talking to reporters after the wreath laying ceremony in Kathua late on Friday (March 28) evening, the DGP said their loss will not be compensated by words but by deeds.
“Neither the intention of J&K Police has weakened nor is our goal far away from us. Our goal is clear and so the intention. There is no lack of passion as J&K police is the only force in the country which is writing its history in golden words by its bravery and sacrifice.
“We will not sleep or take rest as long as our impure neighbour [Pakistan] and its [terror] organisations are not dealt with appropriately. This war is going on and will continue. There will be no dilution in our intention,” the police chief said.
Published – March 29, 2025 01:43 pm IST
