Jammu, Jan 19: Security forces on Monday resumed search operations in the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district after a night-long pause to hunt down terrorists believed to be hiding in the area, officials said.
The operation began on Sunday in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo belt and led to an exchange of fire. Eight soldiers were injured, mostly due to splinter injuries caused by a grenade attack allegedly carried out by the terrorists hiding in the forested area.
Officials said the search was halted late Sunday night because of difficult terrain, dense vegetation and steep slopes, which hampered visibility and movement.
With first light on Monday, joint teams of the Army, police and paramilitary forces resumed the operation. Drones and sniffer dogs are being used, and a tight security cordon has been established to prevent the terrorists from escaping, officials said.
According to officials, two to three terrorists, believed to be linked to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad group, are suspected to be trapped in the area. No fresh contact had been established with the terrorists at the time of the last reports.
The operation, codenamed Operation Trashi-I, was confirmed by the Army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps, which said troops came into contact with terrorists in the general area of Sonnar, northeast of Chatroo, during a joint search operation with Jammu and Kashmir Police.
The Army said additional forces have been deployed to strengthen the cordon, with close coordination among civil authorities and security agencies. It praised the troops for their professionalism and determination while responding to hostile fire in challenging conditions.
This is the third encounter between security forces and terrorists in the Jammu region this year. Earlier encounters took place in the Kahog and Najote forest areas of Billawar in Kathua district on January 7 and 13.
Last month, a police officer was killed during an encounter in Soan village of Udhampur district, where terrorists managed to escape under the cover of darkness and dense foliage.
Security operations across the Jammu region have been intensified ahead of Republic Day celebrations amid intelligence inputs warning of renewed attempts to push terrorists into the area.
