Several districts in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly Doda and Reasi, saw intense search operations on Thursday in an effort to find and neutralize terrorists responsible for recent attacks in the union territory, according to officials.
Over the past four days, terrorists have attacked four locations in the districts of Reasi, Kathua, and Doda, murdering nine pilgrims and a CRPF jawan while injuring seven security officers and numerous others.
During a confrontation with security forces in Kathua, two suspected terrorists from Pakistan were also slain, and a significant amount of weapons and ammo were found on them.
The officials said that in the morning, search operations in Kota top, Gandoh, Chattagalla, and the surrounding areas of the Doda district were resumed by the Army, police, and paramilitary forces. On Tuesday and Wednesday, seven security personnel, including two policemen, were injured in separate gunfights with terrorists.
According to the officials, there hasn’t been any new communication with the terrorists who are escaping.
On Wednesday, the police unveiled sketches of the four terrorists who had carried out two assaults in the area and declared a reward of Rs 20 lakh for information that would result in their capture.
A financial reward of Rs 20 lakh had already been declared by the police, along with a sketch of one of the terrorists engaged in the attack on a pilgrimage bus in the Reasi area on Sunday, which resulted in nine fatalities and 41 injuries.
According to the officials, the search is currently taking place in the neighboring Rajouri district and Reasi.
Additionally, searches are being carried out in the nearby Poonch and Nowshera in Rajouri. In response to intelligence reports on a potential terror threat, security forces have also been placed on alert in the districts of Jammu, Samba, and Kathua, they said.
In a bloody shootout that started on Tuesday night and lasted more than 15 hours in Kathua, two terrorists were shot and killed by security personnel. In the course of the operation, a civilian was hurt and a CRPF jawan was also killed.
On Wednesday, police in the Jammu region sent a warning asking people to be on the lookout for suspicious people and items.
The warning was sent in response to intelligence reports raising the prospect of a terror threat in some areas of the districts of Jammu and Rajouri.
