Gunshots heard during security op in Kathua forests; search intensified

By Irfan Yattoo
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13 Jan 2026

Srinagar, Jan 13: Several gunshots were heard on Tuesday after security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in a remote forested area of Kathua district following specific intelligence inputs about the suspected movement of terrorists, officials said. The intermittent firing was reported from the Najote forest area of Billawar, nearly 10 kilometres from the Kamadh nallah in the Kahog forest belt, where security forces had earlier exchanged fire with terrorists on January 7. Officials said the firing occurred as troops moved deeper into the forest to track the suspected terrorists. According to officials, the terrorists fired a few shots after noticing the movement of security personnel in the area. The forces immediately retaliated and tightened the cordon to prevent the terrorists from escaping, they said. No casualties or injuries were reported on either side till the last reports. Following the exchange of fire, the operation was reinforced with additional deployment of Army, police and paramilitary personnel. Search teams, assisted by surveillance equipment, were fanning out across the dense forest area to locate and neutralise the terrorists, officials said. On January 7, an encounter had broken out between security forces and terrorists in the Kahog forest area of Kathua. However, the terrorists managed to flee, taking advantage of the darkness, difficult terrain and thick forest cover. Since then, multiple search operations have been launched in the surrounding areas to track their movement. Officials said the forest belt along the Billawar–Kahog axis has witnessed heightened security activity in recent days due to suspected terrorist movement. The area’s rugged topography and dense vegetation have posed challenges to search teams, they added. Security forces have stepped up anti-terror operations across the Jammu region in view of the upcoming Republic Day celebrations. Additional checkpoints, area domination patrols and intelligence-based operations have been put in place to prevent any untoward incident, officials said.