Security personnel keep vigil near clock tower in Srinagar, Thursday, 17, September 2026. Two unidentified terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Majalta area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district, officials said on Thursday | Photo Credit: IMRAN NISSAR

Two terrorists were killed in a joint intelligence-based operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district, the Army’s White Knight Corps said on Thursday, as security forces continued searches in the area.

The operation, codenamed “Operation Sohan”, was launched during the intervening night of September 16 and 17 after security forces received intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the Brattal area of Udhampur, the White Knight Corps said in a post on X.

Troops of the White Knight Corps, along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force, launched a targeted counter-terrorism operation despite what the Army described as hostile weather, difficult terrain and poor visibility.

“Two terrorists” were killed during the operation, the Army said, without immediately identifying them or disclosing their affiliations.

The operation was still in progress on Thursday, with security forces conducting search and surveillance operations in the area, the Army said. Forces remained deployed to detect any remaining militant presence and prevent movement through the forested and difficult terrain.

The operation comes amid a sustained security focus on parts of the Jammu region, where militant violence has increased in recent years after a prolonged period in which the region was comparatively less affected by insurgency than the Kashmir Valley.

Since 2019, when the Central government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status under Articles 370 and 35A and reorganised the former state into two Union territories, security agencies have increasingly dealt with militant activity in areas south of the Pir Panjal range.

Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur and adjoining areas have emerged as important areas of security concern. The rugged Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley terrain provides cover for movement. The shift has also placed greater operational demands on security forces in an area that had experienced relatively long periods of peace.

Published on September 17, 2026