A fierce encounter between security forces and terrorists erupted in the Hiranagar area of Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir, on March 23, 2025. The operation was launched based on intelligence indicating the presence of terrorists inside a Dhok — a local term for an enclosure—within the nursery in Sanyal village, about five kilometres from Pakistan border.

This operation was initiated following intelligence reports indicating the presence of three to five terrorists near the India-Pakistan border.

As security personnel engaged the terrorists, a heavy exchange of gunfire ensued, lasting over half an hour. Eyewitness accounts described the chaotic scene, with reports of approximately 250 rounds fired during the confrontation.

A 48-year-old woman narrowly escaped as the heavily armed terrorists held her husband at gunpoint in a nursery near the international border.

"The terrorists were holding my husband at gunpoint and also asked me to come near. But my husband signalled me to escape and I started running away. One of the terrorists tried to stop me but in vain as I started shouting, which attracted the attention of two more persons who were cutting grass," Anita Devi told PTI.

During this incident, a seven-year-old girl sustained injuries and was subsequently taken to a local hospital where her condition was reported as stable. The circumstances surrounding her injury remain unclear, but it has been confirmed that she was not seriously harmed.

Following the initial gun battle, the terrorists managed to escape from the area of first contact. Officials stated that search operations would be intensified in the days following the encounter, with security forces maintaining a heavy presence in border villages to prevent further infiltration attempts.

The Border Security Force (BSF) has also issued a high alert along the Pakistan border due to concerns about additional terrorist groups potentially attempting to cross into Indian territory.

The operation involved multiple agencies, including the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police, the Army, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Local residents had previously alerted authorities after observing suspicious movements in a nearby nursery area. The Director General of Police, Nalin Prabhat, is personally overseeing the ongoing operations to ensure a comprehensive response to this security challenge.

This incident is part of a broader trend in which Kathua has increasingly become a route for terrorist infiltration from Pakistan, highlighting ongoing tensions in Jammu and Kashmir.

In 2024 alone, security forces reported killing 75 terrorists in the region, with a significant number linked to infiltration attempts along the Line of Control and International Border.

Agencies