Two terrorists killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur; arms, ammunition recovered
Mangalore Today News Network
Srinagar, Sep 17, 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.
The encounter began late Wednesday evening after security forces detected the presence of suspected terrorists in the Sohan area of Majalta. A joint team of the Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a cordon-and-search operation, during which the suspected terrorists opened fire, officials said.
In the ensuing exchange of fire, two terrorists were killed. Arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site. The identities and affiliations of the slain men are yet to be established.
Additional security personnel have been deployed in the area, while extensive searches are underway to sanitise the forested terrain and determine whether the two men were part of a larger group.
The encounter comes amid a resurgence of militant activity in parts of the Jammu region in recent years, with security forces facing challenges across districts including Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Kathua and Udhampur.
The renewed challenge became particularly visible in the Pir Panjal region of Rajouri and Poonch in 2021, when nine soldiers were killed in separate encounters in forested areas in October that year. Subsequent attacks targeting civilians and security personnel in Rajouri and Poonch prompted a reassessment of the counter-terrorism grid in the region.
Security officials and analysts have attributed part of the changing security situation to the redeployment of troops towards the China border following the 2020 Galwan clash and the subsequent military standoff in eastern Ladakh. Earlier reports said two Army divisions deployed south of the Pir Panjal were moved out, while a Rashtriya Rifles formation was redeployed to Ladakh.
The reduction in troop presence in parts of the Jammu hinterland increased the area that remaining formations were required to cover.
The region’s difficult terrain has also posed challenges to security operations. The heavily forested Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley provide concealment and routes connecting areas near the Line of Control with the interior mountainous regions.
Intelligence gaps and the weakening of local networks during periods of relative calm have also been cited as factors complicating counter-terror operations.
According to ACLED data cited in earlier reports, more than 60% of militant violence recorded in Jammu and Kashmir in 2025 occurred in the Jammu division, compared with 5% in 2018.
In response, security forces have intensified deployments and area-domination operations across the Jammu-Kathua-Udhampur-Doda belt.
The Majalta encounter has brought renewed security focus on Udhampur, with searches continuing to determine whether any other terrorists are present in the area.