Two encounters rage in J&K’s Udhampur, Kishtwar: Officials

Police personnel stand guard after security forces established contact with three terrorists during a search operation in a village in Ramnagar, Udhampur. April 9, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Security forces engaged militants in two separate gunfights in the Udhampur and Kishtwar districts of the Jammu region on Wednesday (April 9, 2025), officials said.

In Udhampur, the encounter began in Jopher village after the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police received specific information about the presence of suspected militants. “A special operations group (SOG) team was dispatched to the spot. During the search, a gunfight started. Security forces retaliated with fire,” said Amod Ashok Nagpure, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Udhampur.

Around three militants are suspected to be operating in the area. While the exchange of fire continued, there were no confirmed reports of any militant casualties by Wednesday evening. “Army and CRPF [Central Reserve Police Force] were also mobilised. Reinforcements were sent to the encounter site. The cordon has been further strengthened for the night. We will resume the search operation when feasible,” Mr. Nagpure added.

The Kathua-Udhampur belt has recently witnessed increased militant movement, with more than five sightings reported. Earlier, an anti-militancy operation in neighbouring Kathua district resulted in the deaths of four policemen and two militants.

Simultaneously to the encounter in Udhampur, another gunfight erupted in the Chatroo belt of Kishtwar district in the Chenab Valley region, where Army personnel engaged a group of hiding militants. An official stated that two to three militants are believed to be present in the area. Officials indicated that the militants were utilising the dense forest cover in the mountainous terrain to prolong the engagement. Chatroo is located near the Mughal Maidan passes at an altitude exceeding 8,000 feet above sea level.

Security officials noted a shift in militant tactics over the past year, with groups increasingly moving from urban pockets to remote jungle areas in the upper reaches of the Chenab Valley, leading to prolonged encounters. Last year, 13 militants were killed in 30 such contacts within the Jammu region.