Fact-Check: Has the recent encounter in Kathua, resulted in the death of 8 Indian Soldiers?

 An encounter erupted in Kathua’s Hiranagar after the security forces near the India-Pakistan border spotted three terrorists. However, the terrorists managed to escape. The search operation is still underway to flush out the terrorists. Amid this, a claim has emerged on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) alleging that Kashmir freedom fighters ambushed an Indian search team, resulting in the deaths of 8 Indian soldiers. Intense combat followed as the fighters were surrounded, but miraculously, all freedom fighters escaped unharmed. Several Pak-based handles shared this claim.

An account named Intel Tracker posted an image on X and wrote: “Yesterday, Kashmir freedom fighters ambushed an Indian search team, resulting in the deaths of 8 Indian soldiers. Intense combat followed as the fighters were surrounded, but miraculously, all freedom fighters escaped unharmed”

Moreover, another account shared a similar image on X and made a similar claim. The preview link can be seen here.

Fact-Check

The DFRAC team investigated this claim and found it to be manipulated.

We conducted a keyword search on Google and came across some of the latest reports from India Today, Deccan Herald, The Hindu and Deccan Chronicle.

The reports from India Today and Deccan Herald, published on March 23, 2025, stated that the gun battle began after security forces launched a search operation in the Sanyal village of the Hiranagar sector, located along the Indo-Pak border. The operation followed reports of suspicious movements by two to three terrorists in the area.
The initial exchange of fire saw the terrorists managing to escape from the point of contact, they said. But security forces continued their efforts, which are expected to intensify on Monday. A cordon has been established around the forest area, and operations are ongoing to neutralize the terrorists.
A seven-year-old girl was injured during the incident and was quickly rushed to the hospital.

Furthermore, reports from The Hindu and Deccan Chronicle cited that the search operation against a group of infiltrating terrorists in the dense jungles of Kathua district of Jammu region entered the second day on Monday, officials said.

However, the latest reports did not mention the killing of any Indian soldier.

Conclusion

It is evident from DFRAC’s fact-check that the above-shared claim is manipulated in nature. No such killing of any Indian soldier has been reported during the encounter that has recently erupted in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua. Moreover, the search operation is still underway to flush the militants from the area.