SRINAGAR/JAMMU/DELHI: Not all Army heroes wear uniforms. This is true for Tyson, a four-legged soldier, who showed extraordinary courage by charging first into a terrorist hideout and helping security forces eliminate three Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists in the Chhatroo belt of J&K’s Kishtwar despite being shot in its leg.“Tyson is a local dog adopted and trained by the Indian Army for counter-terror operations,” a source told TOIin Delhi. “The Army’s silent warrior crawled into the hideout carved into the rugged terrain of Chhatroo, prompting the terrorists to open fire,” sources from Kishtwar said over phone. Despite getting a bullet injury, Tyson continued the mission and was the first to reach near the ‘dhok’ and also enabled the security team to reach the hideout and neutralise terrorists. Later, the injured canine was airlifted for medical treatment,” officials said. The dog is now in Udhampur and “is doing fine”.‘Operation Trashi-1’ was a mega multi-agency counter-terror operation that “reflected months of planning and an integrated approach involving the Army’s Counter Insurgency Force (Delta), police force and CRPF”.In a joint press conference of police and Army in Jammu, IGP Jammu B S Tuti on Monday said it all started when a terror group called ‘Israel Group’, comprising seven hardcore terrorists, infiltrated into Indian territory in 2024. They were engaged 17 times over a period of nearly one-and-a-half years. He said three of them were killed in April 2025. “Yesterday was the culmination of this year-and-a-half-long operation,” Tuti said, referring to the killing of JeM commander Saifullah.“Yesterday’s operation is indicative that we have neutralised their leadership in Kishtwar. However, their foot soldiers remain active in other areas,” he said. Though he didn’t specify the number of terrorists, he said around 20 foreign terrorists are believed to be active in the Jammu region.Maj Gen APS Bal, General Officer Commanding, Counter Insurgency Force (Delta), said, “Op Trashi-1 is a “perfect example of perseverance, clarity of thought and seamless coordination at all levels, troops on the ground, corps commanders, ADGs, IGs, between DGP and Army Commander.” He said all available resources were deployed “in a joint and integrated manner, from a dog to a drone.”He said the operation began on Jan 14 in Kishtwar, with first contact established on Jan 18 when the terrorists’ hideout was busted. Further encounters followed on Jan 22, Jan 25 and Jan 31, and again on Feb 4 and Feb 8.During the operation, Maj Gen Bal said, soldiers faced harsh terrain and weather, including snowfall, rain and landslides. The forces were rotated regularly to prevent fatigue, with some teams inserted by helicopter and some through 6-8 hours of trekking.“Every day we sat at the drawing board, reoriented and realigned ourselves, redeployed and started working again,” he said. The senior officer said the first breakthrough came on Feb 4 with the killing of (commander’s aide) Adil. On Feb 21, an input shared by the SSP Kishtwar was passed on to the brigadier of 9 Sector and corroborated through multiple agencies. A joint operation was then launched on the rugged mountains. Reinforcements, including special forces, were quickly mobilised. The Army used real-time surveillance drones and night vision equipment to track and contain terrorist movement.“We achieved success without suffering any casualty or harm to our troops, except the injury to the brave dog Tyson,” Maj Gen Bal said. During the search of the area, till now, war-like stores, including three AK-47 rifles, have been recovered along with bodies of the slain terrorists.
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