Arms cache recovered in J&K's Poonch: AK-47, grenades seized in Satharban
Synopsis
A natural cave hideout in Poonch's Satharban area yielded an AK-47, six grenades, and 30 rounds of ammunition on 13 October — the latest haul in a sustained joint Army-police offensive that has intensified across Poonch and Rajouri since September, targeting foreign militant groups reportedly operating in J&K's dense forest belts.
Key Takeaways
Joint forces recovered an AK-47 rifle , a magazine, six grenades with fuses , and 30 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition from a cave hideout in Satharban, Surankote, Poonch on 13 October 2026 .
The operation was conducted by the Rashtriya Rifles' Romeo Force and J&K Police ; an investigation is under way.
Earlier in 2026, the Army neutralised two suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba fidayeen terrorists near the LoC in the Khari Karmara sector of Poonch.
Operation Sheruwali (May–June 2026) targeted foreign terrorist groups across dense forest belts of Rajouri and Poonch.
Multi-location crackdowns involving the Army , J&K Police , CRPF , and BSF have been active since September and are continuing in October across Rajouri and Poonch.
Joint security forces recovered a cache of arms and ammunition during a search operation in Jammu & Kashmir's Poonch district on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, officials said. The haul, unearthed at a natural cave hideout in the Satharban area of Surankote, included an AK-47 rifle, a magazine, six grenades with fuses, and 30 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, along with food items and medicine.
The Operation and What Was Found
The joint team comprised the Rashtriya Rifles' (RR) Romeo Force and the Jammu and Kashmir Police. According to officials, the terror hideout at Satharban was busted during the operation, with the natural cave concealment pointing to an active militant presence in the area.
'A joint team of the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police recovered the arms and ammunition during the operation. The recovered items included an AK-47 rifle, a magazine, six grenades with fuses, and 30 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, besides food items and medicine,' an official said. An investigation has been initiated, and further details are awaited.
Intensified Anti-Terror Offensive Across Poonch and Rajouri
Tuesday's recovery is the latest in a sustained security crackdown spanning the Rajouri and Poonch districts. Multi-location operations were launched in September 2026 and are continuing into October, with joint forces — the Indian Army, J&K Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the Border Security Force (BSF) — active across vulnerable pockets including Peer Khana, Potha Narota, and Kalakote in Rajouri, and the Mendhar and Surankote sectors in Poonch.
Earlier this year, the Army neutralised two suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) fidayeen terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Khari Karmara sector of Poonch — an engagement that underscored the active infiltration threat in the region.
Operation Sheruwali and the Broader Context
In Operation Sheruwali, conducted in May–June 2026, joint security teams launched multi-day Cordon and Search Operations (CASO) targeting foreign terrorist groups operating in the dense forest belts of Dorimal-Gambhir Moghla in Manjakote, Rajouri, and Surankote in Poonch. The operations flagged a pattern of Pakistani militant groups using forested, mountainous terrain as cover.
Notably, reports of Pakistani terrorists moving through densely forested areas of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar, Reasi, Kathua, Ramban, and Udhampur have driven the deployment of Para commandos and other elite forces trained in forest and high-altitude operations. This is the latest in a series of such recoveries in the region, reflecting a sustained counter-insurgency posture ahead of winter, when snowfall traditionally hampers militant movement across the LoC.
What Comes Next
An investigation into Tuesday's recovered cache is under way, with officials declining to share further details pending the probe. Security forces are expected to continue Cordon and Search Operations across high-risk forest belts as the operational tempo remains elevated through the coming weeks.
Point of View
Grenades, and supplies cached in natural caves — points to a logistics infrastructure that does not dismantle easily. Each such find confirms militants are pre-positioning for extended forest stays, not opportunistic incursions. What is less visible in the official narrative is the pace of neutralisations versus the pace of fresh infiltrations: busting hideouts matters, but the strategic test is whether the pipeline is shrinking. With winter approaching and snowfall set to harden the LoC, the next few weeks will be a critical indicator of how much the sustained CASO tempo has actually degraded militant operational capacity in Poonch-Rajouri.
NationPress
13 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was recovered in the Poonch arms cache operation on 13 October 2026?
Joint security forces recovered an AK-47 rifle, a magazine, six grenades with fuses, and 30 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, along with food items and medicine, from a natural cave hideout in the Satharban area of Surankote, Poonch. An investigation has been initiated.
Which forces conducted the Poonch operation?
The operation was a joint effort by the Rashtriya Rifles' Romeo Force and the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Broader anti-terror operations in Poonch and Rajouri also involve the CRPF and BSF.
What is Operation Sheruwali?
Operation Sheruwali was a joint security operation conducted in May–June 2026, involving multi-day Cordon and Search Operations in the dense forest belts of Dorimal-Gambhir Moghla in Rajouri and Surankote in Poonch, targeting foreign terrorist groups. It was part of an intensified anti-infiltration drive in the region.
What is the broader security situation in Poonch and Rajouri?
Security forces have significantly stepped up anti-terror operations across Poonch and Rajouri, targeting cave and forest hideouts, intercepting infiltration bids, and tracking foreign militant groups reportedly including Pakistani terrorists. Multi-location crackdowns began in September 2026 and are continuing in October.
Has Lashkar-e-Taiba been active in Poonch?
Yes. Earlier in 2026, the Army neutralised two suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba fidayeen terrorists along the Line of Control in the Khari Karmara sector of Poonch. Officials have reported Pakistani militant groups operating across several districts of Jammu & Kashmir, including Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, and Kishtwar.
