4 Policemen killed, 3 terrorists shot dead in encounter in J&K's Kathua

4 Brave Policemen Martyred, 3 Terrorists Neutralized in Fierce Kathua Encounter

Four Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel made the ultimate sacrifice while engaging three heavily armed terrorists in a fierce encounter that lasted over five hours in Kathua district today. The gunfight, which began at dawn in the remote Hiranagar sector near the International Border, left the entire region in mourning as the nation paid tribute to the fallen heroes.

The slain officers - Sub-Inspector Deepak Sharma, Head Constable Ramesh Kumar, and Constables Ankit Gupta and Pradeep Singh - were part of a quick response team that intercepted the terrorists after village defense guards spotted suspicious movement near Chadwal forest. According to eyewitnesses, the terrorists opened heavy AK-47 fire when challenged, triggering an intense exchange that continued until security forces successfully neutralized all three attackers by late morning.

Senior Superintendent of Police Shailendra Mishra, his voice choked with emotion, saluted the bravery of his fallen colleagues. "These men stood like a wall between terrorists and civilian populations. Their supreme sacrifice prevented what could have been a major tragedy in populated areas," he told reporters at the encounter site. The martyred constables included recent recruits and decorated veterans, with Head Constable Ramesh Kumar having received the Police Medal for Gallantry in his distinguished career.

Preliminary investigations revealed the terrorists belonged to the newly formed Lashkar-e-Mustafa outfit, a shadow group of Jaish-e-Mohammed. Security forces recovered five AK-47 rifles with Chinese markings, twenty live grenades, and Pakistan-made medicines and food packets from the encounter site. Intelligence sources suggested this was part of renewed attempts to destabilize the region ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage.

The human cost of the operation became painfully clear as family members received the bodies of their loved ones. Constable Ankit Gupta, just 24 years old, had postponed his wedding scheduled for next month to remain on duty. "He told me last night that protecting the nation came before everything else," his grieving mother recalled through tears at their Jammu home, where neighbors and colleagues gathered to pay respects.

As the region remains on high alert with additional forces deployed along the Jammu-Pathankot highway, the encounter has reignited concerns about cross-border terrorism. Forensic teams are examining whether the sophisticated weapons used by the terrorists were airdropped via drones, a worrying new tactic observed in recent months. Meanwhile, schools in the area remained closed as security forces conducted combing operations to rule out the presence of any remaining terrorists.

Political leaders across party lines united in paying tribute to the fallen officers. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha vowed that Jammu and Kashmir would never bow to terror, while Home Minister Amit Shah promised that the sacrifices would not go in vain. Local residents organized candlelight vigils, with one elderly villager capturing the mood: "These brave men died so our children could sleep peacefully at night." The incident marks one of the deadliest encounters in the region this year and serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by security forces in the border areas.