Havildar Gajendra Singh of the Special Forces killed in Kishtwar terrorist encounter; 8 soldiers injured as Operation TRASHI-I continues in J&K.
Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir: An Army soldier was killed after sustaining injuries in a gunfight with terrorists during an operation in Kishtwar. The deceased has been identified as Havildar Gajendra Singh of the Special Forces. He was wounded on the night of January 19 during Operation TRASHI-I in the Singpura area.
The operation, which began on Sunday in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo belt, led to an encounter in which eight soldiers were injured, most suffering splinter injuries after terrorists threw a grenade from cover, officials said.
“The operation was paused late Sunday night and resumed early Monday in the difficult terrain, marked by dense vegetation and steep slopes that limited visibility and movement,” officials told .
#WhiteKnightCorps | #Homage | #SupremeSacrifice
The #GOC, White Knight Corps and all ranks pay solemn tribute to Havildar Gajendra Singh of the Special Forces, who made the supreme sacrifice while gallantly executing a Counter Terrorism operation in the Singpura area during the… pic.twitter.com/XKUDTw9dxq
— White Knight Corps (@Whiteknight_IA) January 19, 2026
Paying tribute on X, the Army’s White Knight Corps said:
“The #GOC, White Knight Corps and all ranks pay solemn tribute to Havildar Gajendra Singh of the Special Forces, who made the supreme sacrifice while gallantly executing a counter-terrorism operation in the Singpura area during Operation TRASHI-I on the night of 19 Jan 2026. We honour his courage, valour, and selfless devotion to duty and stand with his bereaved family in this hour of grief.”
Officials added that joint teams of the Army, police, and paramilitary forces are conducting a thorough search operation in the area, supported by drones and sniffer dogs, while a tight security cordon has been established to prevent the terrorists from escaping.
It is believed that two to three terrorists, suspected to be linked to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), remain trapped in the area. The operation resumed at first light on Monday and was ongoing at the time of the latest reports.