Security forces have intensified search operations in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district following reports of suspected terrorist movement.
The operation, supported by aerial surveillance and sniffer dogs, comes after a recent gunfight in the Sanyal belt, where two terrorists and four policemen were killed. Three other security personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police, sustained injuries.
In response to intelligence inputs suggesting the escape of three terrorists from the encounter site, security forces imposed a night-long cordon and launched a comprehensive search in the Ghati-Juthana forest area.
The operation, involving the army, police, NSG, CRPF, and BSF, is focused on the forest belts of Rui, Juthana, Ghati, Sanyal, and parts of Billawar. The entire border belt has been placed on high alert, with additional search efforts initiated in Samba sector near the International Border.
Security concerns escalated further on Sunday night when three suspected terrorists entered a house in Rui village, several kilometers from the encounter site.
The intruders, dressed in black robes, asked an elderly woman for water before forcibly taking food from her kitchen. Before leaving, they offered her ₹1,000 in cash, which she refused. This incident prompted security forces to intensify search efforts and enforce a night-time cordon in the area.
Authorities are also investigating possible local support for the terrorists. Six individuals, including women from a family linked to overground workers (OGWs), have been detained for questioning.
The detainees are allegedly associated with Mohammad Latief, an OGW currently imprisoned under the Public Safety Act for aiding terrorists in a 2023 attack on an army truck in Malhar, which resulted in the deaths of six soldiers.
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Intelligence suggests that Abu Tala, one of the slain terrorists, had previously stayed at Latief’s residence.
Security forces have questioned over two dozen people regarding terrorist activities in the region. Additionally, investigations continue into a group of terrorists intercepted on March 23 in a ‘dhok’ (an enclosure in a nursery) in Sanyal village near the International Border.
This encounter ultimately led to the deaths of two Pakistani terrorists, believed to be linked to the proscribed outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, along with the deaths of four policemen.
The bodies of three additional policemen—Balwinder Singh Chib, Jaswant Singh, and Tariq Ahmed—were recovered a day after the encounter. The remains of Head Constable Jagbir Singh were retrieved from the Ghati-Juthana forest on Saturday.
The People's Anti-Fascist Front, a known proxy group of Jaish-e-Mohammed, has claimed responsibility for the attack. Security agencies continue their efforts to track down the escaped terrorists and dismantle any support networks aiding them in the region.
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