Story of long hunt in Kishtwar

Militancy had attempted to re-establish its presence in the region around 2021 during the COVID period. A foreign-trained militant commander, Saifullah, built a support network across upper Kishtwar, using forest corridors of Chhatroo, high-altitude dhoks, and an Over Ground Worker (OGW) chain. The group was involved in violent incidents, including the 2024 ambush in which four soldiers, including Naik Arvind and Naib Subedar Vipin of 11 Rashtriya Rifles, lost their lives.

Saifullah relied on pre-stocked shelters, ration caches, and local facilitators to evade operations. In response, 11 Rashtriya Rifles strengthened its intelligence grid, mapping routes, tracking supply chains, and identifying facilitators. By December 2025, surveillance had intensified in upper Chhatroo and several winter shelters were dismantled. In early February 2026, Aadil, an associate of Saifullah, was neutralised, weakening the group’s support structure.

On 21 February 2026 at approximately 2000 hours, credible intelligence was received regarding the presence of 2–3 terrorists near Wani Mohalla and Matto Mohalla. After corroboration, a coordinated operation was launched under 11 Rashtriya Rifles with guidance from Headquarters 5 Sector.

For operational security, troops initially moved in civil vehicles, while additional teams advanced through jungle routes to establish cordons. Drone-based thermal surveillance was employed from induction to culmination, providing real-time inputs and enabling adjustment of ground positions.

By midnight, a containment grid was established. Suspicious movement near a mud structure was detected through drone surveillance at 0425 hours and confirmed visually. Further activity was observed at 0608 hours. Civilian presence was ruled out before escalation. Contact was established when a combat dog drew fire from inside the structure.

In the ensuing firefight, two terrorists—Saifullah and Farman—were neutralised. The third terrorist, Basha, was injured and later neutralised. Rocket launcher fire was used in a controlled manner after the terrorists were contained within the cordon. The operation concluded without casualties to security forces.

The encounter marked the dismantling of the militant group operating in higher reaches of Kishtwar. With this operation, all seven terrorists who had infiltrated the area in previous years were neutralised. The operation reflects coordinated intelligence efforts, technological surveillance, and ground execution by 11 Rashtriya Rifles under Headquarters 5 Sector and Delta Force.