An Army soldier died after getting injured in a gunfight with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar. The soldier has been identified as Havildar Gajendra Singh of the Special Forces. He was injured on the night of January 19 during the ongoing Operation TRASHI-I in the Singpura area.
The operation was initiated on Sunday in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo belt, triggering an encounter in which eight soldiers were wounded, most of them suffering splinter injuries after terrorists lobbed a grenade from concealment, officials said.
"The operation was suspended late Sunday night and was resumed early this morning in the challenging terrain marked by thick vegetation and steep slopes, limiting visibility and movement," officials told PTI.
In a post on X, the Army's White Knight Corps paid tribute to the martyred soldier. "The #GOC, 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 Singpura area during the ongoing Operation TRASHI-I on the night of 19 Jan 2026," the post read.
"We honour his indomitable courage, valour and selfless devotion to duty and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this hour of profound grief," it added.
Officials said joint teams of the Army, police and paramilitary forces are conducting an intensive search operation in the area, aided by drones and sniffer dogs, while a strict security cordon has been put in place to prevent the terrorists from escaping.
They added that two to three terrorists, believed to be affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), are suspected to be trapped in the area. The operation resumed at first light on Monday and was continuing at the time of the last reports.