Two terrorists killed, 5 security personnel injured after gunfight in J&K's Kathua

NEW DELHI: Two terrorists were killed and 5 security personnel injured as security forces launched a major operation to neutralise an infiltrating group in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, officials told PTI on Thursday.
The encounter erupted near Jakhole village in the Ghati Juthana area of Rajbagh when security personnel, acting on intelligence inputs, confronted a group of five militants. The initial exchange of fire left Special Police Officer Bharat Chalotra injured. He was rushed to a hospital in Jammu, where his condition was reported as stable.
Security forces, including the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Army, BSF, and CRPF, swiftly reinforced the area. The operation intensified as three security personnel, including a Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), found themselves trapped near the gunfight zone.
Officials said that the terrorists are believed to be part of the same group that had escaped during an earlier encounter in Hiranagar sector on Sunday. A massive search operation had been ongoing for four days, utilising UAVs, drones, sniffer dogs, and bulletproof vehicles.
During searches in the area, security forces recovered ammunition, grenades, a bulletproof jacket, and materials for making IEDs. The Director General of Police, Nalin Prabhat, has been overseeing the operation from Kathua.