Key Terms & Concepts — UPSC Mains
Operation Sheruwali
"A multi-agency counter-terrorism operation launched May 23, 2026 in the Dorimal forest area of Rajouri, Jammu & Kashmir, targeting militants in the Pir Panjal range"
Operation Sheruwali is a multi-agency counter-terrorism operation launched on 23 May 2026 in the Dorimal forest area of Rajouri district, Jammu & Kashmir. The operation involves the Indian Army (Rashtriya Rifles units), Jammu & Kashmir Police (Special Operations Group/SOG), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). It targets a group of militants believed to be operating in the dense forests of the Pir Panjal range — the sub-Himalayan ridge separating the Kashmir Valley from the Jammu region. The Pir Panjal range has historically been an active infiltration corridor used by Pakistan-based militant groups to push operatives into the Jammu region. Operation Sheruwali represents part of India's intensified counter-insurgency effort in the Rajouri-Poonch belt, which has seen a surge in militant activity since 2021. The Rajouri-Poonch region ('Twin Districts') experienced several IED attacks and ambushes on security forces between 2021 and 2024, leading to enhanced grid operations.
Operation Sheruwali is relevant for GS3 (internal security, counter-terrorism, J&K security) and GS2 (India's security challenges, federal security forces). Key themes: Pir Panjal as infiltration corridor, multi-agency counter-terror doctrine, Rashtriya Rifles' role in J&K operations, and the Rajouri-Poonch surge as a strategic challenge. The operation also connects to debates on AFSPA and the human rights-security trade-off in J&K.
- 1 Launched May 23, 2026 in Dorimal forest area, Rajouri district, J&K
- 2 [object Object]
- 3 Targets militants in the Pir Panjal range — key infiltration corridor between Kashmir Valley and Jammu
- 4 Part of intensified operations in the Rajouri-Poonch ('Twin Districts') belt since 2021
- 5 Rajouri-Poonch experienced increased militant activity 2021–2024 including IED ambushes on security forces
- 6 Pir Panjal forests provide dense cover — operations require multi-day cordon-and-search tactics
- 7 Rashtriya Rifles are the Army's dedicated counter-insurgency force in J&K, organised under the Army's Northern Command
Operation Sheruwali's deployment in the Dorimal forest illustrates a classic counter-insurgency challenge: militants using terrain advantage (dense forest, high altitude) to avoid encirclement, while security forces must balance speed of clearance against collateral damage risks — the same dilemma that has characterised J&K forest operations for three decades.
