Srinagar, September 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A joint security operation was underway in the Yusmarg area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district on Thursday after security forces reportedly trapped a group of terrorists during a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO).
According to sources, the operation followed specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the higher reaches of the Yusmarg highland meadow. Personnel from the Army’s 10 Para Commandos, who were patrolling the area, reportedly established contact with the hiding terrorists, leading to an exchange of gunfire.
Sources said troops of the 53 Rashtriya Rifles rushed to the area and reinforced the cordon to prevent the terrorists from escaping under the cover of darkness. The area falls under the jurisdiction of Khansahib Police Station.
Two terrorists are reportedly trapped inside the cordoned area. Additional personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have also been deployed to strengthen the operation.
Budgam has witnessed several major counter-terror operations in recent years. In January 2023, two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were killed in separate operations in the Charar Shareef and Redbugh areas. In January 2022, three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists were killed during an overnight encounter in Zolwa Chadoora village. Encounters were also reported in the Chadoora and Nowgam areas in October 2020.
One of the most significant security operations in Budgam’s history took place in Charar-e-Sharief in 1995, when Pakistani terrorist Mast Gul and his associates occupied the historic Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani shrine. Security forces surrounded the town but avoided a direct assault to protect the shrine and civilians.
The standoff lasted 66 days. On May 11, 1995, a massive fire destroyed the shrine and hundreds of wooden houses. Mast Gul escaped amid the chaos and later returned to Pakistan. The confrontation reportedly left around 20 militants, two soldiers and five civilians dead.
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