Search operation to track terrorists enters fourth day in J&K's Kathua

A massive multi-tier combing operation to track down a group of infiltrating terrorists continued for the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday in forested areas of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district.

A local woman informed the police on Tuesday that two men in army uniform asked her for water while they were having food in the Ding Amb belt of the district, prompting the area to be cordoned off.

"They took water and headed towards the nearby forest area," Darshana Devi said.

Security has been intensified along the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway in the Samba-Kathua section, with increased vigilance on border roads, officials said.

The search operation is concurrently underway in multiple areas from Sanyal to Ding Amb and beyond, covering several kilometers.

The operation involving the army, NSG, BSF, police, Special Operation Group, and CRPF armed with technical and surveillance equipment, is supported by helicopter, UAVs, drones, bulletproof vehicles, and sniffer dogs.

Security agencies have questioned several persons in various areas and picked up three suspects for questioning, they said.

During the search operation on Tuesday, security forces recovered two grenades.

The tracksuits found among a large cache of ammunition and other materials in the Sanyal forests were identical to those worn by the four JeM terrorists killed in Assar forests and Doda in June and August last year.

Locals of the areas have joined the operation by security forces and urged people in other areas to remain vigilant and inform any movement of suspected persons in their areas. Several villagers have requested people to come forward with information about the movement of terrorists in their areas.

The operation led by Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat was launched on Sunday evening in the Hiranagar sector following an encounter between security forces and terrorists hiding in a nursery.

The Special Operations Group of police initiated the operation after receiving intelligence about terrorists hiding inside a 'dhok' (local enclosure) in a nursery in Sanyal village, approximately five kilometers from the International Border with Pakistan, officials said.

The hidding terrorists opened fire on the police team, resulting in a prolonged gunfight lasting over half an hour.

Reinforcements were promptly dispatched as a manhunt began to apprehend the terrorists believed to have infiltrated on Saturday via either a ravine route or a newly constructed tunnel.

Initial firing did not cause any casualties, and the area remained under tight security overnight before security forces moved in at dawn, officials said.

Although there have been no further encounters with the terrorists, search parties on Monday discovered four loaded magazines of M4 carbine, two grenades, a bulletproof jacket, sleeping bags, tracksuits and several packets of food.