Two terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad were killed in a joint counter-terror operation carried out by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district, officials said on Wednesday. The operation, codenamed Operation Kiya, was conducted in the Jophar forest area of Basantgarh in Ramnagar tehsil.
An AK-47 rifle and an M4 carbine were recovered from the site after the encounter, which began on Tuesday afternoon following specific intelligence inputs.
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How Operation Kiya unfolded
According to the Indian Army’s White Knight Corps, the operation was launched after actionable intelligence was shared by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Troops of CIF Delta, along with personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force, cordoned off the forested area to prevent the terrorists from escaping.
“Contact with terrorists was established yesterday and they were prevented from breaking contact. Following a calibrated and coordinated response, two terrorists were successfully neutralised,” the Army said in a post on X. It added that the operation reflected strong inter-agency coordination and tactical precision.
The encounter reportedly broke out around 4 pm on Tuesday in the dense forest region, located about 25 km from Ramnagar town. Additional reinforcements were rushed to the area soon after contact was established.
#WhiteKnightCorps | #OpKiya | Update
— White Knight Corps (@Whiteknight_IA) February 4, 2026
Operation KIYA
Based on specific intelligence input provided by @jmukmrpolice, troops of CIF Delta, #WhiteKnightCorps planned and executed a focused joint counter-terror operation in the general area of Jophar Forest, Basantgarh (J&K) in…
Who were the terrorists
Security officials said both slain militants were commanders of Jaish-e-Mohammad. One of them has been identified as Mavi, while the identity of the second terrorist is still being verified. The recovery of sophisticated weapons, including an M4 carbine, has raised concerns about the group’s access to advanced firearms.
Following the operation, the Army said the area continues to remain under close surveillance to rule out the presence of any remaining threats.
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Parallel search operations underway
Even as Operation Kiya concluded in Udhampur, security forces continued search operations in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar district. Officials said the searches are aimed at tracking down another group of three to four Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists believed to be operating in the region.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Army had confirmed on X that an intelligence-based joint operation was underway in Basantgarh, with a cordon established and a firefight in progress.
