Jammu and Kashmir’s top police officials, Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bhim Sen Tuti, conducted an on-site review of the ongoing counter-terrorism operation in Kathua district on Tuesday.
The officials, accompanied by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Shiv Kumar Sharma, visited Panjtirthi, the focal point of the extensive search for three terrorists who evaded security forces after a brief encounter the previous night.
DGP Prabhat personally surveyed the difficult terrain, encompassing riverine and mountainous areas, to support the forces involved in the prolonged operation, now in its tenth day. The operation began after an encounter in the Saniyal area last Thursday, where two terrorists were killed, but tragically, four police officers also lost their lives.
Security forces, comprising the Special Operations Group (SOG), the Army, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), are continuing their intensive search to neutralize the remaining terrorists.
The three fugitives are believed to be part of a group that initially clashed with security forces near the International Border in the Nursery area on March 23. Following that initial encounter, the terrorists escaped. Four days later, a second encounter occurred in the Sanyal forest area, resulting in the elimination of two terrorists, but also the loss of four police lives and injuries to three others. The remaining terrorists again escaped.
Due to the terrorists’ constant movement within the dense jungle, security forces have launched a comprehensive multi-agency operation to track them down. The search was significantly intensified on Monday, incorporating aerial surveillance and the use of sniffer dogs, which led to the subsequent night encounter. A night cordon was established to prevent the terrorists from escaping the forest, according to sources.
