Search operation extended to new areas in J&K’s Kathua as 4 policemen, two terrorists killed

Officials said bodies of two Pakistani terrorists, believed to be affiliated with proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit, were also recovered along with war-like stores.

Srinagar: The ongoing anti-terror operation in Jammu’s Kathua district was extended to new areas on Saturday following the recovery of the body of a fourth policeman and two slain terrorists from the scene of a fierce gunfight in a remote forested area.

The intense battle, which erupted on Thursday morning, has claimed the lives of four policemen and two terrorists, while seven security personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), have sustained injuries.

Officials said that security forces were continuing to sanitize the encounter site, while the search operation has been extended to nearby areas, including Billawar Heights, in an effort to track down and eliminate the militants.

The latest phase of the operation is focused on the area near Jakhole village in Ghati Juthana, Rajbagh, located about 30 kilometers from the initial encounter site in Saniyal village, Hiranagar sector. This marks the second phase of the operation, which has already seen significant casualties on both sides.

Sources said that the search will continue, as up to three terrorists may still be hiding in the Ghati forests or could be moving toward surrounding wooded areas.

Security along the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway has been tightened, with a large-scale search operation covering several kilometers, from Sanyal to Ding Amb. The operation involves multiple agencies, including the army, BSF, CRPF, and NSG, with support from helicopters, drones, and sniffer dogs.

On Friday, Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat confirmed that the terrorists involved in the gun battle were the same group that had been intercepted earlier in Saniyal village.

Prabhat, addressing the media, vowed that forces would continue their efforts relentlessly until all terror groups in the region were dealt with decisively.

“We will not sleep or take rest as long as our impure neighbour (Pakistan) and its (terror) organisations are not dealt with appropriately. This war is going on and will continue. There will be no dilution in our intention,” the DGP said during a wreath-laying ceremony at the district police lines in Kathua on Friday.

He also clarified confusion surrounding the number of terrorists killed in the operation, saying that only two Pakistani ultras had been confirmed dead, contrary to earlier reports that suggested three terrorists had been neutralized.

The People's Anti-Fascist Front, a shadow outfit of Pakistan-based terror organization Jaish-e-Mohammed, has reportedly claimed involvement in the encounter.