Jammu: Security forces on Thursday launched a manhint using drones and military dogs in Udampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, which armed people were seen near the border with the Kathua district. The discovery follows Gunfite on 24 March in which five Pakistani terrorists killed four policemen in Kathua. Two terrorists were killed, but three managed to escape.
The multi-level operation entered its 12th day to catch three fugitives, with additional soldiers deployed to strengthen the search. “Our army had been assisting the operation in Kathua district for the last eight days,” said Udhampur Dig Revs Mohammad Bhat.
The operation expanded after armed men demanded food from residents in Khabal village of Udampur, seized a mobile phone, and ran into dense forests.
They are believed to have been spotted on 1 April for the same people spotted in fighter fabrics in the Ghata-Juthana forest, just a few kilometers from the Sufen forest in Kathua, where the gun took place on 24 March. Officials said that fugitives are continuously transferring places, exploiting natural cover in the mountainous region such as caves and thick vegetation.
Kathua district has long been an important infiltration route for terrorists due to its strategic position with the Pakistan border. It connects to the north with Doda and Udhampur districts, which provides a corridor to the Kashmir Valley. Officials said that the terrorists prefer the route to go from Kathua to Udhampur and Doda before entering Kashmir.
