Gunfight erupts in Kishtwar district
A fresh encounter unfolded on Wednesday morning in the general area of Chhatru, Kishtwar, where security forces, in a joint operation with Jammu and Kashmir Police, engaged terrorists in a fierce exchange of fire. Nagrota-based White Knight Corps in a post on X confirmed, “In an intelligence-based operation, launched in coordination with the Jammu and Kashmir Police early this morning, alert troops of the White Knight Corps established contact with terrorists in the general area of Chhatru”. “The operation is in progress,” it said. Initial reports also claimed a group of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists may be trapped, with operations continuing under challenging conditions.
Earlier, three terrorists, including a top commander of JeM terrorist outfit, were gunned down by the joint team of security forces in the Naidgam area of Chhatru in the Kishtwar district without suffering any collateral damage on April 11-12. The security forces have also recovered M4 and AK rifles from the encounter site.
Israel returns 15 bodies
Officials at Gaza’s largest functioning hospital said on Wednesday that the bodies of 15 more Palestinians were returned from Israel, as exchanges outlined in last month’s fragile ceasefire continued despite allegations of violations. The International Committee of the Red Cross has transported 285 bodies held in Israeli custody to Gaza since last month’s agreement was brokered, though health officials in Gaza have said identifying the remains is complicated by a lack of DNA testing kits. Israel has not disclosed how many bodies it is holding or where they were recovered, but has been returning 15 each time the remains of an Israeli hostage are returned from Gaza. The 15 were returned to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Wednesday.
Typhoon Kalmaegi leaves 85 dead
Typhoon Kalmaegi has left at least 85 people dead with 75 others missing in the central Philippines, many in widespread flooding that trapped people on their roofs and swept away cars in a hard-hit province still recovering from a deadly earthquake, officials said on Wednesday. Among the dead were six people who were killed when a Philippine air force helicopter crashed in the southern province of Agusan del Sur on Tuesday. The crew was on its way to provide humanitarian help to provinces battered by Kalmaegi, the military said.
