Jammu, Jan 8: An anti-terror operation is underway in the Kathua district, where an encounter that erupted on Wednesday entered its second day, with security forces resuming the search operation on Thursday morning after a nightlong cordon, officials said.
Security forces intensified search operations in and around the Kamadh Nallah area and the Dhanu Parole-Kamadh Nallah belt, following an exchange of gunfire between terrorists and Special Operations Group (SoG) personnel at Kahog village in Billawar on Wednesday evening.
The gunfight broke out after security forces launched a search operation based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of two to three terrorists hiding in the forest area, officials said.
During the initial encounter on Wednesday, heavy firing was reported, which lasted for over an hour, in which a security personnel sustained a minor bullet injury after a bullet hit his leg.
He was hospitalised, officials said.
Officials said that soon after the exchange, additional reinforcements were rushed to the area to strengthen the cordon and prevent the terrorists from escaping.
The operation was further expanded with the deployment of specialised teams of the Army along with teams of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to assist in tracking down the terrorists.
Additional forces have also been called in, and aerial surveillance has been pressed into service to pin down the terrorists hiding in dense forest areas, officials said.
Although no fresh exchange of fire has been reported since Thursday morning, security agencies suspect that two to three terrorists may still be hiding in or near the encounter site.
There are also reports of movement of three groups of infiltrating terrorists in the region, officials said.
Meanwhile, a well-constructed terrorist hideout was busted on Thursday near the Kamadh Nallah area, from where utensils, food items, clothes, and other basic incriminating material were recovered, officials said.
Confirming the operation, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, Bhim Sen Tuti, in a post on microblogging site X said, “Despite darkness, thick vegetation and treacherous terrain, the SOG is relentlessly engaging the terrorists. Teams of the CRPF are also participating in the joint operation.”
In another post on X, he said: “The SOG has engaged the terrorists in the forest area of Kamadh nallah, Kathua.”
Search operations are continuing, and security forces remain on high alert to neutralise any remaining threats.
The Army, Border Security Force (BSF), Police, and CRPF are continuously carrying out joint search operations in the area, while identification of border dwellers and intensified patrolling along the International Border (IB) in Kathua and Samba districts and adjoining areas of Punjab have been underway for the past one month, officials said.
A multi-tier security grid comprising the BSF, Border Police, and Village Defence Guards (VDGs) has been put on alert ahead of Republic Day on January 26, officials said.
Kathua has witnessed several encounters over the last two years, resulting in the killing of 16 people, including 11 security personnel and five terrorists.
While seven security personnel and two terrorists were killed in 2024 after terror activities revived in the district, seven persons, including four security personnel and three terrorists, were killed in 2023.
In addition, four civilians died under mysterious circumstances, with locals suspecting terror involvement.
