Search operation under way in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar

Jammu: A search operation was under way on Thursday to track down two to three terrorists hiding in a forested area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, officials said.

The cordon and search operation follows an encounter that broke out between terrorists and security forces in the heavily forested Kanzal Mandu area of the Kuchal-Chatroo belt on Wednesday night.

The operation is backed by drones and sniffer dogs, with the cordon further strengthened by additional reinforcements.

As per unconfirmed reports, one terrorist is believed to have been injured in the gunbattle, which continued this morning.

The encounter started when police, assisted by the Army and CRPF, launched a cordon and search operation in the Kuchal area of Chatroo around 7:45 pm on Wednesday following information about the presence of terrorists, they said.

The officials said the terrorists opened fire on noticing the search parties, leading to a gunfight which was continuing when last reports came in.

Reinforcements have been rushed to the area to maintain a tight cordon and neutralise the terrorists, who are affiliated with Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit, the officials said.

According to reports, top terrorists Saifullah and Adil are believed to be operating in the hills of the district.

This is the second encounter in the Jammu region in the past one week. On June 26, a Pakistan-based JeM terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces, and three of his associates escaped into the forested area of the Basantgarh belt of Udhampur district.