A fierce encounter is underway in the Bihali area of Basantgarh, Udhampur district, where four terrorists believed to be affiliated with Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) are trapped, according to police and army officials.
Inspector General of Police (Jammu Zone), Bhim Sen Tuti, confirmed that contact with the terrorists was established around 8:30 a.m. despite poor weather conditions. “We believe four terrorists are holed up. The situation will become clearer once visibility improves,” he said.
The operation, codenamed Operation Bihali, was launched following specific intelligence inputs. Security forces initiated a cordon and search operation early Thursday after detecting suspicious movement in the dense forest. The terrorists opened fire with automatic weapons, prompting a retaliatory response from the joint team of army para-commandos and J&K Police.
This encounter comes just days ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra, set to begin on July 3. In the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam attack—where 26 civilians were killed by Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives—security forces have intensified surveillance across the Union Territory.
To ensure the safety of pilgrims, additional deployments from BSF, CRPF, and SSB have been stationed along the twin routes to the cave shrine—via Pahalgam and Baltal. A full-scale mock drill was conducted on Wednesday across all districts involved in the Yatra, and mountaintop dominance has been established to prevent terrorist infiltration.
The ongoing operation underscores the heightened alert in the region as security forces aim to neutralize threats and ensure a peaceful pilgrimage season.