Encounter underway in Jammu-Kashmir's Kathua

According to inputs, two groups of five-six terrorists each are believed to have infiltrated. Representational pic

Security forces launched a major offensive on Sunday against a group of terrorists who reportedly infiltrated from across the border into the dense jungles of Kathua district in Jammu-Kashmir, news agency PTI reported. The operation followed intelligence inputs indicating the presence of terrorists inside a 'dhok' - a local term for an enclosure - within a nursery in Sanyal village, around five kilometres from the International Border with Pakistan.

A police team from the Special Operations Group initiated the search operation, but the personnel came under heavy fire upon entering the area, leading to a gunfight. Reinforcements were quickly deployed, and a manhunt began to apprehend the terrorists, suspected of infiltrating through a ravine route or a newly created tunnel on Saturday. Despite the intense half-hour exchange of gunfire, no casualties have been reported so far, and additional forces are reinforcing the cordon, officials said.

According to inputs, two groups of five-six terrorists each are believed to have infiltrated, PTI reported. Some local women collecting firewood reported seeing about five armed men in the expansive nursery area. Meanwhile, a seven-year-old girl sustained injuries and was shifted to a local hospital, though the circumstances of her injury remain unclear.

Jammu-Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat is personally monitoring the operation, and the Army's Rising Star Corps (IX Corps) confirmed that a joint effort involving police and Army troops is underway. District Development Councillor Karan Kumar reported heavy gunfire in the area.

Kathua has emerged as a significant infiltration route for Pakistan-based terrorists attempting to reach higher regions like Udhampur, Doda, and Kishtwar, and eventually Kashmir, PTI reported. Over the past year, terror activities have spread to six other districts of Jammu, resulting in 44 deaths, including 18 security personnel and 13 terrorists.

While the Pir Panjal districts of Rajouri and Poonch saw a decline in terror incidents in 2024, attacks have increased in Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Kathua, Udhampur, and Jammu since April-May 2024, raising concerns for security agencies. To counter the threat, security forces have intensified their operations against Pakistan-based handlers attempting to destabilise peaceful areas.

Kathua had reported nine deaths in 2024

Official data reveals that in 2024, Doda, Kathua, and Reasi each reported nine killings, followed by Kishtwar (five), Udhampur (four), and Jammu and Rajouri (three each). Poonch reported two killings. Of the total casualties, 18 were security personnel and 13 were terrorists.

Kathua was also recently rocked by protests following the mysterious deaths of five people in the remote Billawar tehsil. On March 8, the bodies of three individuals who had gone missing on March 5 while attending a wedding ceremony were found in Ishu nullah. In a separate incident on February 16, the bodies of two men were found in Kohag village, with post-mortem results indicating strangulation.

(With PTI inputs)