Desk Correspondent , Kashmir - In a significant anti-terror operation on February 22, 2026, Indian security forces engaged and killed two terrorists linked to the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in the dense forested hills of Kishtwar district. The clash, part of Operation Trashi-I, a mission woven into broader moves by India's army, federal police, and local officers, aimed at breaking up hidden cells. Forest shadows had sheltered them too long. Now, boots pressed deeper, tracking echoes of past threats. Each hillside step weighed heavily with purpose. Not glory - just duty carved into rocky slopes. Names remain unspoken; their cause is already buried in dust kicked up by swift justice. Movement continues elsewhere, quiet but certain.

Fighting broke out near Chatroo-Passerkut following solid reports of armed individuals concealed in rugged land. Early that Sunday, soldiers moved in under the White Knight Corps’ command. From a low stone building on the lower slopes, gunfire came first. In reply, the army engaged sharply. The clash ended with two attackers dead. Weapons found included two AK-47s along with ammunition and gear left behind. Quiet followed by late light.

Over the past several months, ongoing hostilities in this area have resulted in numerous similar engagements; some have even been described as "firefights" involving insurgents against security personnel in snowy forests. In the past month alone, several extended battles involving both insurgents and security personnel have caused at least one soldier's death as well as those of multiple prior insurgents.

As per law enforcement officials, these joint counterinsurgency operations, which include intelligence provided by multiple agencies (including the Intelligence Bureau and the local police), are based upon current intelligence from multiple agencies that is intended to prevent the growth of terrorist networks within vulnerable areas of land. The complex geography and dense vegetation of Chatroo's forest provide an ideal location for insurgents attempting to stay covert and gain access to the rest of Kashmir and the surrounding districts.

According to security analysts, terror groups such as JeM have persistently sought to move their operatives into Kishtwar due to the mountains and forest cover in that area giving them logistical advantages. Over the previous year, several combined operations have utilised coordinated intelligence to identify and eliminate numerous militants, part of a larger strategic effort by the government to achieve peace and stability in Jammu and Kashmir.

This operation represents the much more extensive efforts of the Indian Armed Forces (IAF) and various Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMF) units to secure sensitive border regions and to preclude terrorist activity by adapting to numerous challenges posed by variations in weather, terrain and intelligence.