Operation Sohan: Two terrorists neutralised in joint army-police-CRPF operation in Udhampur

Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir: Two terrorists were neutralised during an overnight intelligence-based counter-terrorism operation in Udhampur’s Brattal area, the Army’s White Knight Corps said on September 17, as the Army, Jammu & Kashmir Police and CRPF conducted a joint operation despite hostile weather, difficult terrain and poor visibility.

Code-named Operation Sohan, the operation was launched during the intervening night of September 16 and 17 after confirmed intelligence inputs indicated the presence of terrorists in the general area of Brattal. Joint teams subsequently moved into the forested Brattal Sohan and Khubban areas of Majalta, where searches and surveillance were initiated.

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The operation developed into an encounter after security forces established contact with the suspected terrorists. According to officials, firing intensified after the terrorists attempted to break the security cordon, prompting retaliatory action by the forces.

The Army said the operation was conducted under difficult weather and terrain conditions, with poor visibility adding to the challenge of tracking movement through the forested area. The coordinated involvement of the White Knight Corps, J&K Police and CRPF enabled the forces to maintain the cordon while conducting the targeted operation.

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Arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site, while the identities of the two slain terrorists are being ascertained. Some reports have cited officials suspecting links to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), but the Army has not yet officially confirmed their identities or affiliation.

Importantly, Operation Sohan remains ongoing. Security forces are continuing search and surveillance operations in the surrounding area to detect any remaining threats and establish whether other members of a possible terrorist group are present.

The operation highlights the continuing importance of intelligence-led counter-terrorism operations in the forested and mountainous belts of the Jammu region, where difficult terrain can provide concealment and complicate surveillance and ground movement.

For the security forces, the operation also demonstrates the role of multi-agency coordination, combining Army combat elements with police intelligence and CRPF capabilities to respond rapidly once credible inputs are received.

The latest encounter comes amid intensified counter-terrorism activity across the Pir Panjal region, where security agencies have been conducting operations against suspected terror networks and logistical support structures.

With search operations continuing, authorities are expected to establish the identities and backgrounds of the two terrorists and determine whether they were part of a larger network operating in the Udhampur–Pir Panjal belt.

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