Two suspected terrorists linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad were gunned down in an overnight operation in the Brattal-Sohan and Khubban forest belt of Udhampur district, Jammu and Kashmir.

Security forces launched the joint operation, codenamed Operation Sohan, during the night of September 16-17 after confirmed inputs on terrorist presence in the Brattal area.

The Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF carried out the counter-terror operation in difficult terrain and poor visibility, establishing contact with the terrorists late at night.

Arms and ammunition were recovered from the site, with no injuries reported among the security personnel involved.

The operation remained active as of the latest update, with search and surveillance efforts continuing in the surrounding area.

Contact with the terrorists was established late at night, with firing and blasts reported during the initial phase of the operation targeting a suspected hideout.

No casualties were reported among the security forces involved in the operation.

The two terrorists killed are suspected to be affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit.

Identification of the slain terrorists was still being ascertained by security agencies at the time of reporting.

Search and surveillance operations were continuing in the Brattal Sohan and Khubban areas of Majalta tehsil as a precaution against any remaining threats.

Udhampur district, part of the Jammu region, has periodically seen anti-terror operations targeting militant movement through its forested and hilly terrain.

Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have stepped up counter-infiltration and search operations in recent months across the Jammu division’s forested belts.

The joint operation was code-named Operation Sohan by security forces.

It was launched during the intervening night of September 16 and 17 after confirmed inputs about the presence of terrorists in the general area of Brattal.

Troops of the Army’s White Knight Corps, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the CRPF carried out the targeted counter-terrorism operation despite hostile weather, difficult terrain and poor visibility.

Indian Army soldiers (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

The 18th BRICS Summit closed with leaders unanimously adopting the New Delhi Declaration on September 12.

The declaration called for restraint in the Middle East and addressed AI cooperation, energy security and local-currency trade, while stopping short of condemning the US-Israeli strikes or Iran’s targeting of Gulf countries.

India played a mediating role at the summit, helping secure a joint statement between the UAE and Iran after talks that continued until 4 am on September 12.

PM Modi said the Declaration reflected a BRICS that is ‘wider in reach and stronger in purpose’, calling for time-bound follow-through.

Security was tightened significantly at the Bharat Mandapam venue on the summit’s closing day, with thousands of personnel deployed across the capital.

PM Modi described the Declaration’s outcome as reflecting a BRICS that is ‘wider in reach and stronger in purpose’, urging members to translate the outcomes into time-bound action.

Security was tightened significantly at the Bharat Mandapam venue for the summit’s final day, with thousands of personnel deployed across New Delhi.

The 18th BRICS Summit brought together leaders and senior delegations from member states including Russia, China, South Africa, Iran and several newer bloc entrants.

Major summit themes included artificial intelligence cooperation, energy security, and stronger representation for Global South nations in international institutions.

The declaration’s adoption came after member states worked through sharp differences on the West Asia conflict and other contentious geopolitical issues in the lead-up to the summit.

The New Delhi Declaration called for restraint in the Middle East but stopped short of condemning either the US-Israeli strikes or Iran’s targeting of Gulf countries in the region.

The declaration also criticised the ongoing global trade war without directly naming the United States, reflecting the bloc’s effort to balance differing member positions.

BRICS did not launch a common currency at the summit, with the focus instead remaining on promoting local-currency trade and cross-border payment systems among member nations.

Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in New Delhi on Friday, marked by an exchange that included a Russian translation of the Thirukkural.

Modi gifted Putin the translated text ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit, saying he expected it to grow people-to-people ties between the two countries.

The Thirukkural is an ancient Tamil work of 1,330 couplets, attributed to poet-saint Thiruvalluvar and written around two thousand years ago.

The bilateral meeting covered trade, industry, energy, mobility and critical resources, with discussion of rail sector and steel value chain cooperation.

Putin arrived in Delhi ahead of the BRICS Summit, which India is hosting from September 12 to 13.

Talks reportedly touched on plans related to INNOPROM participation in India, as well as collaboration in the rail sector and the steel value chain.

Business-to-business opportunities between Indian and Russian companies were also on the agenda during the wide-ranging talks.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, with several other world leaders also arriving in Delhi over the same period.

Security for the summit period has been tightened significantly across Delhi, with thousands of personnel deployed and airspace restrictions in effect.

India-Russia relations span decades of defence, energy and diplomatic cooperation, with the two countries holding regular bilateral summits.

The two leaders have met on multiple occasions in recent years, both at bilateral summits and on the sidelines of multilateral forums such as BRICS and the SCO.

Officials from both sides were expected to hold follow-up working-level discussions in the weeks after the summit to translate the leaders’ talks into concrete agreements.

India has traditionally balanced its ties with Russia alongside its relationships with Western partners, a dynamic that continues to shape its foreign policy approach.

Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit, which India is hosting on September 12 and 13.

PM Narendra Modi with President Vladimir Putin, PIB/Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India