Search ops intensified ahead of R-Day, more troops inducted in Kishtwar encounter site

As Republic Day is nearing, safety protocols are being significantly tightened across Jammu, with security forces on Wednesday conducting house to house searches in a locality with a large concentration of Rohingya Muslims, officials said.

They said additional Army troops were inducted in the higher reaches of Kishtwar district on day four of the ongoing search operation to flush out terrorists, who have escaped into deep forest after an encounter on Sunday.

Police, assisted by the Central Reserve Police Force personnel, are carrying out house to house searches at Bhatindi-Narwal-Rajiv Nagar area in the outskirts of Jammu city, officials said.

The locality houses a large number of settlements of Rohingya and Bangladeshi Muslims. The search operation focused on their slums, they said, adding that no one was detained so far.

The move is part of the stringent security arrangements being made to ensure peaceful Republic Day celebrations and thwart any attempt by terrorists to cause disruption, they added.

According to officials, the security forces have already strengthened the border security grid and highway security by intensifying surveillance, checking and frisking.

In Kishtwar, additional troops were mobilised in Sonnar, Mandral-Singhpora and adjoining areas in the Chatroo belt to speed up the ongoing search for terrorists, which the Army has named 'Operation Trashi-I'.

The operation launched on Sunday had led to a gunfight, leaving one paratrooper dead and seven soldiers injured, primarily due to splinter injuries from a sudden grenade attack by hiding terrorists.

A major terrorist hideout was busted near the encounter site on Monday and several individuals were picked up for questioning, the officials said, adding that there was no fresh contact with the terrorists.

A group of two to three terrorists, allegedly affiliated with Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, are believed to be trapped in the area, they said.

Security forces are also engaged in search and combing operations at dozens of places including Rajouri, Poonch, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur and Doda districts of Jammu, officials said.

Meanwhile, the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel destroyed a bag with a rusty mortar shell in a controlled explosion at the Border Outpost Bundtip in Samba district, the officials added.

They said the bag was seized from some labourers collecting scrap near the Basantar-Devika river confluence.