JAMMU: Security personnel have uncovered a significant cache of materials, including multiple M4 carbine magazines and a bulletproof vest, as they continue a large-scale operation to track down a group of terrorists in Kathua district, officials reported on Monday.
The counter-infiltration mission began on Sunday evening in the Hiranagar sector and was ramped up with additional deployment of elite commandos, drone surveillance, and sniffer dogs on Monday morning. Authorities later pressed a helicopter into service to aid in the efforts.
Acting on intelligence inputs, a Special Operations Group of the police launched the search operation after receiving information about armed terrorists taking shelter in a โdhokโโa makeshift shelterโinside a nursery in Sanyal village, just five kilometers from the Pakistan border.
When security forces attempted to corner them, the hiding terrorists opened fire, leading to a fierce gunbattle that lasted over 30 minutes, officials stated.
Reinforcement units were immediately dispatched, and a massive search was initiated to track down the infiltrators, believed to have sneaked into Indian territory on Saturday using either a rugged ravine path or a recently dug underground passage.
Despite the intense gunfight, there have been no reported casualties. Security forces maintained a strict cordon around the area overnight before launching an extensive sweep at dawn, officials said.
While no further exchange of fire has occurred since, search teams recovered M4 rifle magazines, sleeping kits, athletic wear, multiple food packets, and several sealed polythene bags, the contents of which will be examined by bomb disposal experts.
Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat is personally overseeing the high-stakes operation. According to intelligence reports, at least two separate groups of five heavily armed infiltrators each may have crossed the border on Saturday.
Local villagers also played a key role in alerting authorities. Some women collecting firewood reported seeing five suspicious individuals seeking refuge in the dense nursery area.
In an unfortunate turn of events, a seven-year-old girl sustained minor injuries when a stray bullet brushed against her arm. She was quickly taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Over the past year, Kathua has emerged as a key infiltration corridor for Pakistan-based terrorists seeking to enter the mountainous regions of Udhampur, Doda, and Kishtwar, eventually making their way to Kashmir.
Since 2020, terrorist groups have shifted their focus from Rajouri and Poonchโwhere security crackdowns intensifiedโto expand their activities into six other districts of the Jammu region. The year 2024 saw a disturbing rise in violence, resulting in 44 fatalities, including 18 security personnel and 13 terrorists.
While the Pir Panjal districts of Rajouri and Poonch saw a decline in terror incidents compared to previous years, a string of attacks in Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Kathua, Udhampur, and Jammu since April 2024 has raised alarms for security agencies.
According to official records, terror-related violence in 2024 claimed nine lives in Doda, Kathua, and Reasi, five in Kishtwar, four in Udhampur, three each in Jammu and Rajouri, and two in Poonch. The victims included security personnel as well as civilians.
Adding to the rising tensions, Kathua witnessed widespread protests earlier this year following the mysterious deaths of five individuals in Billawar tehsil.
On March 8, the bodies of 15-year-old Varun Singh, his uncle Yogesh Singh (32), and another relative, Darshan Singh (40), were found in the Ishu Nullah area of Malhar. The trio had vanished on March 5 while attending a wedding.
A separate chilling incident occurred on February 16, when the bodies of two menโShamsher (37) and Roshan (45)โwere discovered in Kohag village, Billawar. Post-mortem reports confirmed they had been strangled.
