Security Operations Resume in J&K’s Kathua to Track Terrorists One Personnel Injured

Jammu, Jan 8: Security forces on Thursday morning resumed a search operation to track down terrorists hiding in a forest area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, a day after an encounter in which one security personnel suffered a minor injury.

The joint operation, involving the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police along with other security forces, was launched at Kahog village in the Billawar area on Wednesday evening following specific intelligence inputs, officials said.

“The search operation to track down the hiding terrorists has been resumed after a night-long cordon,” a senior security official said.

The searches are currently focused on the Dhanu Parole–Kamadh nallah belt, a dense forested area known for its difficult terrain. Additional forces have been deployed and aerial surveillance has been pressed into service to pin down the terrorists, officials added.

Despite challenging conditions including thick vegetation, darkness, and treacherous terrain, security forces continue to maintain pressure on the militants. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) teams have also joined the operation.

“Despite darkness, thick vegetation and treacherous terrain, the SOG is relentlessly engaging the terrorists. CRPF teams are also participating in the joint operation,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, Bhim Sen Tuti, said in a post on X.

The gunfight broke out on Wednesday evening after security forces launched a search operation based on information about the presence of two to three terrorists in the area, officials said.

During the exchange of fire, one security personnel sustained a minor injury after a bullet struck his leg. He was immediately evacuated and hospitalised, and his condition is stated to be stable.

“The SOG has engaged the terrorists in the forest area of Kamadh nallah, Kathua,” the IGP said in another post.

According to officials, the firing between the two sides lasted for over an hour before it subsided. It was not immediately known whether any terrorist was hit during the encounter.

Meanwhile, reports have also surfaced regarding the possible movement of three groups of infiltrating terrorists in the region.

The Army, Border Security Force (BSF), police, and the CRPF have been conducting sustained search operations over the past month, intensifying patrols along the International Border in Samba and Kathua districts, as well as adjoining areas of Punjab, officials said.

A multi-tier security grid comprising the BSF, border police, and Village Defence Guards (VDGs) has been placed on high alert in view of the upcoming Republic Day celebrations on January 26.

Kathua district has witnessed multiple terror-related incidents over the past two years, resulting in the deaths of 16 people, including 11 security personnel and five terrorists. While seven security personnel and two terrorists were killed in 2024 after militant activity resurfaced in the district following a decade-long lull, seven others—four security men and three militants—lost their lives in encounters in 2023.

Additionally, four civilians have died under mysterious circumstances in the district, with locals suspecting terror-related involvement.