A Pakistani terrorist was eliminated during an overnight encounter in the Arahama forest area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Wednesday, the Indian Army confirmed. The operation, codenamed ‘Op Arahama’, was launched on the intervening night of March 31 and April 1, 2026, following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of foreign militants in the region.
A joint team comprising the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps (two Assam Regiments), Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) initiated a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in the Arahama area after reports of suspicious movement in the upper reaches. During the search, security personnel observed suspicious activity and challenged the suspects, following which the terrorists opened fire. Troops retaliated with a calibrated response, leading to the elimination of one terrorist.
Security forces recovered warlike stores from the encounter site, including an AK rifle, multiple pistols, and a large quantity of ammunition. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) were also deployed to track movement in the densely forested terrain. The cordon has been extended to adjacent villages of Haripora, Bonzla, and Yarmuqam to prevent any possible escape.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir visited the site, and additional reinforcements have been rushed to the area. Sources within the security establishment indicate that one or more terrorists may still be trapped within the operational zone, with forces tightening the cordon.
Ganderbal district had remained largely free of active terrorist presence for over a year. The last major attack in the district was in October 2024, when terrorists targeted a workers’ camp near the Sonamarg Z-Morh tunnel site, killing six labourers and a local doctor. Tuesday’s encounter has raised the security alert level across central Kashmir.
The operation is currently in progress