Jammu, Jan 14: Security forces on Wednesday intensified an ongoing search operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district by expanding the cordon to track down and neutralise terrorists hiding in remote villages, officials said.
The operation was launched in the Najote forest area of Billawar tehsil on Tuesday following specific inputs about the presence of a terrorist. Officials said several gunshots were heard during the operation, but there was no direct contact with the security forces.
Fresh inputs suggest that the terrorist managed to escape the initial cordon by taking advantage of the dense forest cover, difficult terrain and darkness. Officials said he reportedly took food from a shepherd in a nearby area around midnight before moving deeper into the forest.
Reinforcements have been deployed in multiple directions, and more than a dozen villages surrounding Najote have been cordoned off to trace the terrorist and his associates.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) also launched a cordon and search operation in Jakhole Baira and adjoining villages in the Rajbagh area after a local resident reported suspicious movement of two persons near his cattle shed. However, no trace of the suspected individuals has been found so far.
Ahead of Republic Day, security has been further tightened across the Jammu region, especially in border villages and high-altitude areas. Officials said recent drone intrusions from across the border have emerged as a major concern, prompting the deployment of additional forces at vulnerable locations.
They added that intensified patrolling, area domination exercises and night surveillance are underway to prevent infiltration attempts and airdropping of arms and narcotics. (Agencies)
