Fresh fire assault in J&K’s Rajouri forests as hunt for Pakistani terrorists intensifies

Srinagar: Security forces on Thursday launched fresh fire assaults and multiple grenade launcher (MGL) attacks on suspected terrorist hideouts in the dense forests of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district as a massive anti-terror operation entered its sixth consecutive day.

Officials said two to three Pakistani terrorists, including a senior commander Abu Hamzah, are believed to be trapped in the Dorimal-Gambhir Moghla belt of Manjakote area, where joint teams of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the paramilitary CRPF have been carrying out extensive searches since Saturday.

The latest offensive came a day after Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma visited the operation zone and reviewed the ongoing anti-terror operation in the rugged forest terrain.

Security forces targeted suspected hideouts with heavy firing and MGL attacks as the cordon around the area was tightened further to eliminate the militants believed to be hiding in the forests, reports said. Thick plumes of smoke were seen rising from parts of the forest following the assault, indicating that the targeted locations had been struck, officials said.

The operation was launched after intelligence inputs suggested the movement of terrorists in the Singhpora-Chatroo area. Contact with the militants was established on Saturday, triggering a brief exchange of fire after which the ultras are believed to have retreated deeper into the forests, officials said.

They said the operation gained momentum after security personnel detected blood stains in the area on Monday, indicating that at least one terrorist may have been injured during the initial gunfight.

A hideout was later busted during searches in the same belt following another brief exchange of fire.

Backed by helicopters, drones and sniffer dogs, joint teams of the Army, police and paramilitary forces have been conducting extensive combing operations in the thickly forested stretches adjoining Gambhir Moghla and Dori Maal.

Additional troops have also been inducted to strengthen the multi-layered cordon while vehicle checking has been intensified on roads leading to the operation zone to prevent any possible escape by the militants.

The prolonged operation comes amid a renewed militant push in the Pir Panjal region, particularly Rajouri and Poonch districts, which have witnessed a series of deadly attacks on security forces and civilians over the past several years after remaining relatively peaceful for nearly a decade.

Security agencies believe Pakistani terrorists have increasingly shifted focus towards the Jammu region by exploiting the dense forests and mountainous terrain south of the Pir Panjal range.

Unlike the Valley-centric militancy seen earlier, recent attacks in Rajouri and Poonch have largely involved small groups of heavily armed foreign militants using hit-and-run tactics, natural caves and forest hideouts to evade surveillance and avoid prolonged encounters.

Officials have linked several attacks in the region to Pakistan-based outfits and their shadow groups operating across the Line of Control, prompting security agencies to recalibrate counter-insurgency operations in the Jammu belt.