Security Forces Secure Area in Kathua, J&K Following Suspected Terrorist Activity

Synopsis

In Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, police and security forces have secured areas following reports of suspected terrorist movements. Intelligence suggests three terrorists may be on the run after recent encounters, prompting increased search operations and heightened vigilance.

Key Takeaways

Police and security forces have cordoned off Kathua district.
Three terrorists are suspected to be in the Juthana area.
Recent encounters have led to multiple casualties.
Local intelligence played a crucial role in search operations.
Efforts to root out terrorism in J&K are ongoing.

Jammu, March 31 (NationPress) Following the detection of suspected terrorist movements on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, police and security forces have cordoned off the area.

Authorities reported that the recent sightings of three terrorists in the Juthana region of the Rajbagh police station are believed to be linked to the remaining members of a group after two were eliminated in a clash with the army and security personnel in Safiyan village.

In a violent encounter last Thursday in the forested Sanyal belt of Kathua district, two terrorists and four police officers lost their lives, while three others, including a deputy superintendent of police, sustained injuries.

On Monday, law enforcement received fresh intelligence regarding the movement of three individuals suspected to be escaped terrorists in the Juthana area of the Rajbagh belt. Consequently, the region was cordoned off for search operations, according to officials.

“A local resident reported that three suspects entered a residence, requested food, and subsequently made their way into the adjacent jungle late the previous evening. Police have been tracking a group of terrorists after intercepting them last Sunday within a 'dhok' (an enclosure in a plant nursery) in Sanyal village, near the International Border with Pakistan. Following the escape of three terrorists from the Safiyan village area, security forces expanded their search perimeter, encompassing a wide area in the ongoing operation,” the officials stated.

As of the latest updates, there has been no contact (exchange of gunfire) established with the concealed terrorists.

The Army is collaborating closely with security forces to locate the hiding terrorists, according to officials.

J&K DGP, Nalin Prabhat, oversaw the operation against the terrorists in Sanyal village, while the army deployed heavy firepower to dislodge the terrorists, who had taken up positions on elevated terrain to gain a clear view of the approaching security forces.

The DGP remarked that the casualties suffered by the police have strengthened their determination to eradicate the scourge of terrorism from J&K permanently.