Jammu and Kashmir&rsquo;s Kishtwar district witnessed heavy exchange of fire in the early hours of Sunday as joint security forces engaged terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in the Dul area. Troops of the WhiteKnight Corps moved in swiftly after tracking suspicious movement, sparking an intense gunfight. The encounter remains underway.
Meanwhile, in South Kashmir&rsquo;s Kulgam district, the anti-terrorist operation in Akhal Devsar forest has stretched into its 10th day. One local terrorist has been neutralised so far, along with the loss of two soldiers, while four others remain hospitalised with injuries. The Army has pressed Rudra helicopters, drones, and para commandos into action to prevent the trapped terrorists from escaping.
The security forces&rsquo; heightened aggression follows the killing of three top Pakistani terrorists behind the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives. The trio, LeT commander Suleman Shah and his associates Abu Hamza and Jibran Bhai, were eliminated in a high-altitude strike in Dachigam National Park on July 28, under the mission codenamed Operation Mahadev.
Beyond direct combat, forces are targeting overground workers, sympathisers, and drug smuggling networks suspected of funding militancy through hawala channels. This coordinated approach aims to dismantle the entire terror ecosystem, not just neutralise armed operatives, as the Army and other agencies maintain maximum alert along the Line of Control and in the hinterland.

Gunfight Rages in J&K’s Kishtwar, Ops Intensify

Army launches anti-terror drive in Kishtwar and Kulgam to dismantle terror networks

Gunfight Rages in J&K’s Kishtwar, Ops Intensify

Army launches anti-terror drive in Kishtwar and Kulgam to dismantle terror networks

August 10, 2025 | 09:09 IST