Mass arrests continue as massive CASOs in Kishtwar enters third day today
#WarCrimesInKashmir
Jammu: Indian forces have intensified massive cordon-and-search operations (CASOs) in Kishtwar and adjoining areas, targeting the local population, as the crackdown entered its third consecutive day on Tuesday.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Operation Trashi-I, launched on Sunday in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo belt, escalated after a gunfight left an Indian army commando, Havildar Gajendra Singh, dead and seven others injured due to grenade and gunfire during the operation. The mujahideen have reportedly escaped into the dense forests.
Several civilians were detained for questioning, and local sources report that many residents in the area remain under de facto house arrest as the Indian army, police, and paramilitary forces comb the difficult terrain. The operation has been aided by drones, sniffer dogs, and helicopter surveillance, with the cordon tightened as the officials claim that a small group of two to three mujahideen may still be hiding in the forests. Senior officials, including IG Police Jammu Zone Bhim Sen Tuti and IG CRPF Jammu R Gopala Krishna Rao, along with army commanders, are reportedly camping on-site to directly supervise the ongoing operation.
A wreath-laying ceremony was held in Jammu to pay tribute to the slain commando, with his mortal remains later dispatched to his hometown in Uttarakhand for last rites.
Local sources describe the operation as heavily militarized, with Indian forces conducting random searches, vehicle checks, and interrogations of villagers, creating a climate of fear and uncertainty. The authorities’ actions have coincided with the lead-up to India’s Republic Day on January 26, which the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) observe as Black Day.
