Terrorist hideouts busted in Doda, Poonch
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: A gunfight broke out on Sunday after security forces intercepted a group of terrorists who had infiltrated and taken shelter in a dense nursery near the International Border in Kathua district officials said.
The encounter started when the Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a search operation in the nursery in Sanyal village, one-and-a-half kilometres from the border in Hiranagar sector, after receiving information in the evening about the presence of terrorists in the area, the officials said.
They said the hiding terrorists opened heavy fire on the police party, which retaliated.
There was no report of any casualty in the initial exchange of fire, which went on for nearly half an hour. Reinforcements from police, Army and paramilitary forces were rushed to the area, the officials said.
The cordon around the nursery has been strengthened and efforts are on to neutralise the terrorists, they said.
Some village women, who had gone to collect firewood from the nursery, spotted the terrorists, said to be five in number. It is believed that they infiltrated from across the border last night and had taken shelter in the sprawling area, according to the officials.
A seven-year-old girl, Anchal Kumar, suffered injuries and was shifted to a local hospital. However, the exact cause of her injuries is not yet known, the officials said.
Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat is at the spot and supervising the anti-terrorist operation, they said.
“Based on intelligence input regarding the presence of terrorists, a joint operation has been launched by police, and troops of Rising star corps on March 23 in general area Saniyal Hiranagar. Operations in progress,” the Army’s Rising Star Corps said in a post on X.
District Development Councillor Karan Kumar said heavy gunfire rocked the entire area after security forces launched the operation to track down the terrorists who were found hiding in the nursery.
In related developments, terror hideouts were busted in Doda and Poonch districts of the Jammu region.
A terrorist hideout was unearthed in a remote forest area in Doda district, leading to recovery of a pistol and some ammunition, officials said.
The hideout was unearthed during a joint search operation by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of local police and Army in Bhalra forest area of Bhaderwah on Saturday, the officials said.
A pistol, its three magazines and six rounds and 25 rounds of AK assault rifle were recovered from the hideout, they said, adding no one was arrested during the operation which was conducted on a specific intelligence input following reports of suspicious movement.
Meanwhile, the officials said a joint search operation by police, army and CRPF is also underway in Gurinal, Thathri and Chatroo forest in adjoining Kishtwar district.
The operation was launched on Thursday after some villagers shared information about the presence of suspected terrorists in the higher reaches, they said.
However, the officials said no contact was established with the suspected persons so far.
Security forces also busted a major terrorist hideout in a remote forest area in Poonch district, leading to the recovery of a huge cache of arms and explosives, officials said.
The hideout was unearthed during a joint operation by Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group of local police in Sarabara near Sangla top during the day-long operation, the officials said.
They said three AK assault rifles, 23 magazines, 922 rounds, seven grenades, four Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), one watch-type timer mechanism, 19 detonators, three meters of cortex, one four-inch cylinder, one combat dress, 10 centimeter safety fuze and 200 grams of heroin
The IEDs, grenades, detonators, timer device , cortex and safety fuze were later destroyed on the spot by the experts of the bomb disposal squad, the officials said.
However, no one was arrested during the operation, the officials said.
