Army’s K9 dog Tyson sustains minor injuries in Ops, stable
Three AK-47 rifles, ammunition & other incriminating material recovered
Srinagar, Feb 22: In a major counter-terror operation in the Chenab Valley, security forces eliminated three terrorists, including a top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), during a joint operation in the mountainous forests of Kishtwar district under Operation Trashi-I, officials said on Sunday.
The Army’s White Knight Corps, in a post on X, said the operation was launched following specific and credible intelligence inputs generated through coordinated surveillance by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Intelligence Bureau and the Army regarding the movement of a terrorist group in the upper reaches of Kishtwar.
Troops of Counter Insurgency Force (Delta), White Knight Corps, in close coordination with the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), established contact with the terrorists and re-engaged them around 11 am in difficult terrain marked by dense forest cover and steep ridgelines.
“Displaying tactical precision, resolute aggression and seamless coordination, troops dominated the encounter site and neutralised three terrorists,” the Army said.
Defence sources said an Army K9 dog, Tyson, led troops to a hideout, a nomadic hut, and took the first bullet while confirming the presence of JeM terrorists in the area. The forces subsequently engaged the terrorists and eliminated them. Tyson received medical treatment and is stated to be safe and recovering.
According to defence sources, one of the slain terrorists has been identified as Saifullah, a senior commander of the Pakistan-based JeM outfit who was active in the Doda–Kishtwar belt. He had allegedly managed to evade security forces on multiple occasions and was involved in several attacks on security personnel in the region. Officials said he had infiltrated into India a few years ago and had since been operating in parts of the Chenab Valley. However, official confirmation of the identities of the slain terrorists from the police and the Army was awaited.
Sources said the operation was the result of sustained intelligence gathering and coordinated tracking over several months. “The group had earlier managed to evade contact due to difficult terrain and dense forest cover, but continuous surveillance and joint ground action led to their elimination,” a source said.
Security forces recovered war-like stores from the encounter site, including three AK-47 rifles, ammunition and other incriminating material, indicating the group’s intent to carry out further attacks in the region.
Officials said additional search operations are continuing in the surrounding forest area to rule out the presence of any other terrorists and to sanitise the area completely.
The White Knight Corps, which oversees counter-terror operations in the Jammu region, reiterated that joint forces remain on heightened alert across vulnerable areas of the Chenab Valley.
