SRINAGAR: Security forces have intensified their operations across the hilly districts of Rajouri and Udhampur after a brief exchange of fire took place between militants and the police in the Kotranka area of Rajouri on Tuesday evening, followed by reports of suspected subversive movement in Basantgarh, Udhampur, reports appearing in the media said.
Officials said the encounter occurred in Dhar Sakhri village, adjacent to Beeranthub area under Kandi Police Station limits in Rajouri, when a Special Operations Group (SOG) team of the local police came under fire around 7.20 pm. The police party had launched a search operation after receiving information about the movement of suspected individuals in the nearby forest.
“Exchange of fire took place between terrorists and the SOG (Special Operations Group) team in Beeranthub area, Police Station Kandi, Rajouri,” Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Bhim Sen Tuti said, confirming that a joint team of the police, Army and CRPF immediately rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area.
There were no reports of any casualties during the brief encounter, which lasted a short while before the militants managed to slip into the dense forest cover. The entire Dheri Khatuni forest belt and its adjoining villages have been placed under a tight security cordon, with reinforcements from the Army, CRPF, police and SOG maintaining the perimeter through the night to prevent any escape.
Senior officers have also reached the spot, and residents in the surrounding areas have been advised to remain indoors until the area is fully sanitised.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, a cordon and search operation was launched in Dharni Top area of Basantgarh in Udhampur district on Tuesday evening after locals reported the movement of three suspected terrorists. A senior police officer said, “The search operation in Basantgarh was initiated following local inputs, but no contact has been established with the suspects so far.”
Basantgarh’s upper reaches and adjoining forests have witnessed similar movements in the past. A top terrorist commander was killed in one such encounter in the same area a couple of months ago.
Security forces have widened the scope of the ongoing operations in both districts to prevent any regrouping or infiltration attempts by the militants. The cordon-and-search operations in the two districts come amid stepped-up counter-terror efforts in Jammu and Kashmir since the April Pahalgam attack.
Rajouri, one of the most sensitive districts along the Pir Panjal belt, has been the scene of several major terrorist incidents in recent years, including a two-day twin attack that claimed seven lives, among them a child.
Officials said the operations in both Rajouri and Udhampur will continue until the areas are fully cleared and all potential hideouts are searched.
