Udhampur | December 21 : Security forces on Sunday launched a major search and cordon operation in a village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district after suspected terrorists reportedly took food from a local house before fleeing into the nearby forest area, officials said.
A joint team of police and paramilitary forces initiated the operation in Chore Motu village and adjoining forest areas of Majalta, about five kilometres west of Soan village, where a policeman was killed in an encounter with terrorists earlier this month.
Officials said specific intelligence inputs were received late Saturday evening suggesting that two unidentified terrorists entered a house in the village around 6:30 pm, took food, and later escaped into the nearby dense forest. Acting promptly on the information, security forces rushed to the area and launched a search operation.
Although the terrorists could not be traced during the initial searches, officials said the entire forest belt surrounding Chore Motu was immediately cordoned off. A large-scale combing operation was launched early Sunday morning, with multiple teams advancing simultaneously from different directions to track down the suspects and block possible escape routes.
Senior officers are closely monitoring the situation, and additional reinforcements have been deployed to strengthen the cordon and prevent any movement by the terrorists. Officials said the focus of the operation is on neutralising the suspects while ensuring the safety of civilians in the area.
The search operation follows a deadly encounter on December 15 in Soan village of the Majalta area, where a policeman lost his life during a gunfight with terrorists after security forces received inputs about their movement. The terrorists had managed to escape at that time, taking advantage of thick foliage and darkness, officials said.
Security forces have since intensified surveillance and search operations in the region to thwart any further terrorist activity. Further details are awaited as the operation continues.
