Search op intensified in Kathua; carbine magazines, sleeping bags recovered

Adil Akhzer

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Srinagar, March 24

A day after an encounter broke out between security forces and a group of terrorists in Jammu’s Kathua district, a massive search operation is underway in Hiranagar, where the exchange of fire took place. National Security Guard (NSG) commandos have also joined the operation.

On Monday, security forces recovered arms and ammunition from the Dolka forest in Kathua, where the anti-militancy operation is ongoing.

On Sunday evening, the hiding terrorists launched a barrage of gunfire at a police party, leading to an intense gunfight that lasted for over half an hour. Reinforcements were swiftly dispatched, and a manhunt was launched to apprehend the terrorists, who are believed to have infiltrated either through the ravine route or a newly created tunnel.

Officials stated that no casualties were reported in the initial firing. The area was kept under a tight security cordon throughout the night before security forces moved in at dawn.

Although there has been no fresh contact with the terrorists, search teams discovered several M4 carbine magazines, sleeping bags, tracksuits, packets of eatables, and separate polythene bags. The contents of these bags will be examined by the bomb disposal squad.

It is believed that the group of militants infiltrated recently, as the village is located close to the India-Pakistan border.

Security forces launched the operation after being alerted by civilians about the presence of militants in the area. During the firing, a seven-year-old girl sustained a minor injury.

A woman from the village reported that a group of heavily armed militants had captured her and her husband while they were collecting firewood in the forest. However, they managed to escape and later informed the villagers.

On Monday, the search operation continued in Hiranagar and nearby areas to track down the infiltrators. NSG personnel also arrived at the site and joined the forces.

A senior official stated that no fresh firing had been reported since Sunday night. “The cordon has been tightened, and all efforts are underway to locate the hiding terrorists,” the official said.

Top officers continued to arrive at the scene on Monday. Late Sunday evening, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief DGP Nalin Prabhat also visited Hiranagar to assess the situation.

Sources indicated that security has been tightened across all border areas near Kathua following the encounter. “Checkpoints have been set up on the highway and all major routes. Additional forces have been deployed in several areas,” an official stated.

Security forces have also deployed drones and sniffer dogs during the search operation.

Kathua has become a major infiltration route for Pakistan-based terrorists attempting to reach the higher reaches of Udhampur, Doda, and Kishtwar districts, and further into Kashmir, over the past year. Earlier this year, Kathua was also rocked by protests following the mysterious deaths of five people in the remote Billawar tehsil.