Special Forces paratrooper dies of injuries as Kishtwar anti-infiltration operation continues

Srinagar: A special forces paratrooper who had been critically injured in a gunfight succumbed to injuries on Monday as a massive search operation to track down infiltrators, believed to be hiding in the upper reaches of the Chatru area of Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, entered its second day.

At least seven troopers have been injured in this operation, during which the forces claim to have busted a hideout of the infiltrators in the Chatru area during the search operation.

The special forces team member who succumbed to injuries was identified as Havildar Gajendra Singh, officials said.

“The General Officer Commanding, White Knight Corps and all ranks pay solemn tribute to Havildar Gajendra Singh of the Special Forces, who made the supreme sacrifice while gallantly executing a counter terrorism operation in the Singpora area during the ongoing operation TRASHI-I. We honour his indomitable courage, valour and selfless devotion to duty and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this hour of profound grief,” White Knight Corps of the Indian Army said in a post on X.

J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha paid homage to Singh, saying, “I salute the supreme sacrifice of our Braveheart Havildar Gajendra Singh. His supreme sacrifice will remain etched in our hearts. The entire nation stands in solidarity with the bereaved family of our martyr in this difficult hour.”

The operation was launched in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatru area of Kishtwar on Sunday, triggering a gunfight that left eight soldiers injured after the infiltrators threw a grenade towards the forces. The operation was suspended late Sunday night and was resumed early Monday morning in the challenging terrain, where two-three infiltrators from Jaish-e-Muhammad were believed to be present.

The armed forces have deployed drones and sniffer dogs in the area while maintaining the cordon to ensure the infiltrators don’t break the perimeter. “Operations under Operation Trashi-I continue in the general area of Son Nar, northeast of Chatru. The cordon has been further tightened with search operations expanded. Troops of White Knight Corps along with J&K police and CRPF remain deployed to dominate the area,” said an Indian Army official.Police and the army maintain that despite the ceasefire since February 2021, several infiltrators have managed to cross the Line of Control and International Border and are active in Jammu and some parts of Kashmir. Foreign infiltrators remain “a major challenge” for the security grid here in the coming months, according to them.