Aayushi Rana 
Recently, military operations have intensified in Jammu and Kashmir following ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces. On April 1, Pakistan breached the ceasefire by initiating unprovoked firing after a landmine explosion along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch district. Since then, the Indian Army has foiled multiple infiltration attempts.
Amid this backdrop, several Pakistan-based social media accounts have circulated a claim stating, “Indian occupation forces martyred two more Kashmiri youth in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, during a brutal cordon and search operation.”
Multiple other users were found who had shared similar claims, which can be viewed here, here and here.
Fact Check
Upon investigation, the claim was found to be misleading.
We began by conducting a keyword search to verify the claim and came across official updates from the Indian Army’s White Knight Corps Twitter handle regarding Operation Chhatru.
The first tweet, dated April 11, 2025, stated:
“Op Chhatru: Based on specific intelligence, a joint search and destroy operation along with @JmuKmrPolice was launched on 09 Apr in #Chhatru forest, Kishtwar. Contact was established late in the evening on the same day. The terrorists were effectively engaged, and a firefight ensued. One terrorist has thus far been neutralised. Despite hostile terrain and adverse weather, relentless operations by our brave soldiers continue.”
A follow-up tweet posted on April 12, 2025, further updated:
“Op Chhatru: Update – In the ongoing operations at Chhatru, Kishtwar, despite bad and inclement weather, two more Pakistani terrorists have been eliminated. A large quantity of war-like stores, including one AK and one M4 rifle, have been recovered. Operations are in progress.”
In addition to the Army’s statements, several media outlets—including The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, and India Today—reported similar facts. According to these reports, the Indian Army and Jammu & Kashmir Police had launched simultaneous anti-terror operations in Udhampur and Kishtwar on April 9, based on intelligence inputs about recent infiltration from the Hiranagar sector in the Kathua district.
As per the reports, one terrorist was neutralized on the third day of the joint operation in the dense forests of Chhatru, and the mission was aimed at eliminating a group of infiltrated terrorists.
Neither of the media reports mentioned the death of any Kashmiri civilian or Youth.
Conclusion
The viral claim that Indian forces martyred two Kashmiri civilians during a cordon and search operation in Kishtwar is false. Verified official sources and credible media reports confirm that the Indian Army’s Operation Chhatru targeted foreign terrorists based on specific intelligence inputs. The operation was part of an ongoing counter-terrorism effort, not an attack on civilians.
Siddharth Urmil 
