Jammu Region Terror Hunt Widens to ~25 Suspected Militants Across Seven Districts; Escaped Sohan Encounter Militant Identified as 'Nikku'

Extending the search triggered by the September 16-17 Operation Sohan encounter near Udhampur, security officials said the counter-terror effort has widened into a division-wide hunt for an estimated 25 suspected militants across seven Jammu-region districts — Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur and Kathua — stretching from the Pir Panjal range to the Kathua-Udhampur forest belt. Officials described the group as four local operatives (three linked to Hizbul Mujahideen, including one led by Jahangir Saroori active around Kishtwar) plus roughly 21 Pakistan-trained militants, with intelligence estimates of 6-8 in the Pir Panjal sector (Rajouri/Poonch), about 2 in Reasi, 2-3 newly entered in Doda, and several small cells in the Kathua-Udhampur belt. The local militant security forces reportedly cornered during the Sohan encounter in Majalta — but who escaped the cordon — was identified as 'Nikku,' said to have spent several years training in Pakistan before infiltrating back into India roughly two years ago. Officials cited at least 15 terrorists killed in Jammu division encounters since January 1, 2026. The Army, J&K Police Special Operations Group and CRPF have deployed drones, sniffer dogs and thermal-equipped helicopters across the affected forest tracts; no further casualties were reported as of September 23.