Kathua: A fierce gunbattle in J&K’s Kathua district on March 27 resulted in the deaths of three police personnel and the neutralisation of two terrorists. The encounter unfolded near Jakhole village, approximately 30 kilometers from the Hiranagar sector, where a previous gunfight had occurred on Sunday.
Kathua Encounter Enters Day 5: 02 Terrorists killed, 3 J&K Police personnel Killed in Action (KIA).
02 more police personnel reported injured. 01 Army Jawan also reported injured and is being airlifted.
Massive search operations on pic.twitter.com/8JrDbwrS7Y
— News IADN (@NewsIADN) March 27, 2025
The firefight erupted amidst an ongoing large-scale anti-terror operation, now in its fourth day, as security forces pursued suspected terrorists in the region. Sources indicated that four to five terrorists were believed to be hiding in a densely forested area in Juthana, and security personnel successfully located their position.
Reinforcements were swiftly dispatched to the scene, and an intense exchange of fire ensued between the security forces and the hiding terrorists. The Army’s special forces joined the counter-terrorism operation, actively engaging in the confrontation in Juthana. J&K’s Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat immediately rushed to the encounter site to personally oversee the operation.
Security agencies suspect that the terrorists involved in Thursday’s encounter are part of the same group that managed to escape after the gunfight in the Hiranagar sector on Sunday. That initial operation was launched by the Special Operations Group (SOG) following intelligence inputs regarding the presence of terrorists inside a ‘dhok’ – a small enclosure – within a nursery in Sanyal village, near the International Border with Pakistan. The Sunday encounter lasted for over 30 minutes before the terrorists managed to flee.
A comprehensive search operation, involving multiple security agencies including the police, Army, National Security Guard (NSG), Border Security Force (BSF), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), has been underway since March 22. Equipped with advanced surveillance technology such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), drones, and bulletproof vehicles, the forces have been meticulously combing the region to track down the infiltrators.
