Carbine magazines found as search operation is on in Kathua for infiltrators
A large quantity of material, including several magazines of M-4 carbine and a bulletproof jacket, was discovered as a search operation to neutralise a group of infiltrating terrorists continued on Monday in Kathua district, officials said.
The operation was launched on Sunday evening in the Hiranagar sector and was intensified with additional deployment of commandos, drones and sniffer dogs on Monday morning, they said, adding that a chopper was also deployed later.
The operation was launched by police with a Special Operations Group after they got intelligence about the presence of terrorists inside a 'dhok' — a local term for an enclosure — in a nursery at Sanyal village, approximately 5 km from the International Border with Pakistan, officials said.
The hiding terrorists launched a barrage of fire at the police party, leading to an intense gunfight that lasted for more than half an hour, they said. Reinforcements were swiftly dispatched, as a manhunt was launched to apprehend the terrorists, believed to have infiltrated on Saturday via either the ravine route or through a newly created tunnel.
There has been no report of any casualty in the initial firing and the area was kept under a tight security cordon throughout the night before the security forces moved in at the crack of dawn, officials said.
Though there has been no fresh contact with the terrorists, the search parties found a few M4 carbine magazines, sleeping bags, tracksuits, several packets of eatables, and separate polythene bags, the contents of which will be known only when they are opened by the bomb disposal squad, they said.
Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat directed the operation from the ground.
One of the inputs suggested that two groups of at least five terrorists each infiltrated on Saturday.
According to officials, some village women collecting firewood reported seeing around five terrorists who had sought refuge in the expansive nursery area.
A seven-year-old girl sustained minor injuries when a stray bullet passed close to her arm. She was shifted to a hospital.
A 48-year-old villager, Anita Devi, said heavily armed terrorists caught hold of her husband when they were at the nursery to collect firewood.
"The terrorists held my husband at gunpoint and asked me to come near. But my husband signalled me to run and I ran. One of the terrorists tried to stop me but I started shouting, which attracted the attention of two more people who were cutting grass," Anita Devi told PTI.
She said the incident occurred around 4.30 pm on Sunday, and they all returned home and informed police. They all had beards and wore commando dresses, Anita Devi said.
District Development Councillor Karan Kumar said heavy gunfire was heard in the region.
"An atmosphere of fear has gripped the village. We heard around 250 rounds of gunfire," Kumar said, adding that security forces have encircled the entire area to flush out the terrorists.
