Search Operation in Kathua, J&K, Enters Day Four as Locals Assist to Locate Hiding Terrorists
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Synopsis
The search operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district is now in its fourth day, with local residents actively participating alongside security forces in efforts to locate hiding terrorists. Increased vigilance and cooperation are pivotal in this ongoing mission.
Key Takeaways
- Ongoing search operation in Kathua for hiding terrorists.
- Local residents are aiding security forces.
- Security has been intensified along key highways.
- Advanced surveillance equipment is being utilized.
- Authorities urge vigilance and reporting of suspicious activities.
Jammu, March 26 (NationPress) The ongoing search operation to locate terrorists concealed in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district has now reached its fourth day, with local residents actively collaborating with the security forces.
A resident reported to the police on Tuesday that two individuals in military uniforms requested water while they were dining in the vicinity. This incident led to the area being cordoned off.
Authorities have heightened security measures along the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway in the Samba-Kathua sector, ensuring increased surveillance on border routes, officials stated.
The search efforts are being conducted across multiple regions from Sanyal to Ding Amb and beyond, covering extensive distances.
This operation, which includes personnel from the Army, NSG, BSF, police, Special Operation Group, and CRPF, is equipped with advanced technical and surveillance tools, supported by helicopters, UAVs, drones, armored vehicles, and sniffer dogs.
Security teams have interrogated numerous individuals in various locations and have taken three suspects into custody for questioning. During the operations on Tuesday, security forces uncovered two grenades.
Tracksuits found among a large store of ammunition and other items in the Sanyal forests matched those worn by the four JeM terrorists who were killed in the Assar forests and Doda last June and August.
Community members have joined the security forces in their efforts and have urged residents in other areas to remain alert and report any suspicious activities. Many villagers have called for the public to share any information regarding terrorist movements in their neighborhoods.
The operation, overseen by DGP Nalin Prabhat, commenced on Sunday evening in the Hiranagar sector following a confrontation between security personnel and terrorists hiding in a local nursery.
The Special Operations Group of police initiated the action after receiving intelligence about terrorists taking refuge inside a ''dhok'' (local enclosure) in a nursery located about five kilometers from the International Border with Pakistan, officials noted.
The concealed terrorists opened fire on the police team, leading to a gunfight that lasted over thirty minutes. Reinforcements were quickly dispatched as a manhunt was launched to capture the terrorists believed to have infiltrated on Saturday via either a ravine or a newly established tunnel.
Initial gunfire resulted in no casualties, and the area remained under tight surveillance overnight before security forces advanced at dawn, officials reported. Although no further confrontations with the terrorists have occurred, search parties on Monday discovered four loaded magazines for M4 carbines, two grenades, a bulletproof vest, sleeping bags, tracksuits, and multiple food packets.
The International Border between India and Pakistan runs through the district, with past instances of terrorists attempting to infiltrate into Indian territory across the border.
Recently in Kathua, three civilians — Darshan Singh, 40, Yogesh Singh, 32, and Varun Singh, 14 — went missing on March 5 while returning from a wedding in Marhoon village.
Their bodies were located on March 8 near a waterfall on the edge of an escarpment following an extensive search involving the Army, police, drones, and sniffer dogs.
"The brutal murder of three relatives by terrorists in the Bani area of Kathua is deeply tragic and concerning," stated Union Minister Jitendra Singh in a post on X.
In response to the incident, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan visited Jammu on March 9 and led a high-level security meeting focusing on the safety of the upcoming Amarnath Yatra starting on July 3 and the imminent inauguration of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL).
The Home Secretary underscored the importance of the security situation in the Jammu division while providing detailed directives on the overall security landscape in the Union Territory.
Initially concentrated in the Poonch and Rajouri districts, terrorist activities have now spread to other parts of Jammu, including areas that were previously considered free from such incidents, such as the Chenab Valley, which had been declared militancy-free, as well as Udhampur and Kathua.
In previous encounters, highly trained terrorists have ambushed vehicles, employing grenades and armor-piercing ammunition, as well as M4 assault rifles. Sources indicate that the use of advanced weaponry by terrorists suggests a notable increase in the threat level.
Analysts suggest that in recent years, the Pir Panjal region, which separates the Kashmir Valley from Jammu, has experienced a rise in militancy as anti-terror operations in Kashmir have driven terrorists to the mountains, where they wait for the opportune moment to attack security forces.
