JAMMU, Sept. 29
Security forces have launched coordinated search operations at nearly a dozen locations across the border districts of Rajouri, Poonch and Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir following reports of suspicious movement, with troops combing remote villages, forests and possible hideouts.
Personnel from the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Force are participating in the operations, which were continuing on Tuesday.
No contact with any suspected individuals had been established as of the latest information available, officials said.
The searches cover multiple locations across the three districts, extending from the Kalakote and Sunderbani areas of Rajouri to the Mendhar sector of Poonch and parts of Kathua.
In Rajouri district, security forces are searching Peer Khana, Potha Narota and Andh villages in the Kalakote area.
Separate operations are underway at Thanda Pani and Kansar in Sunderbani.
In neighbouring Poonch district, searches are concentrated in Upper Kasbalari, Theratopa, Nagal Gali, Kalaban and Patnateer in the Mendhar sector.
Security forces have also launched searches at Panjwari, Kathera and adjoining areas in Kathua district.
The operations are focused particularly on densely forested terrain, natural hideouts and other locations considered vulnerable to covert movement.
Officials said the forces were maintaining heightened vigilance while attempting to establish whether the reported suspicious activity involved terrorists or other individuals.
There was no confirmation at the time of reporting that terrorists had been located in any of the areas being searched.
The distinction is important because the operations were launched on the basis of reports of suspicious movement rather than confirmed contact with an armed group.
Search operations of this nature can involve extensive combing of difficult terrain before security forces are able either to establish the presence of suspects or rule out a particular area.
Rajouri and Poonch contain large stretches of forested and mountainous terrain along and near the Line of Control, while Kathua includes difficult forest belts along Jammu and Kashmir’s southern approaches.
The terrain can complicate surveillance and search operations, particularly when security forces are responding to reports of movement rather than intelligence identifying a precise location.
The participation of the Army, police, CRPF and BSF allows different security agencies to coordinate searches across a geographically dispersed area.
The Army has a substantial counter-infiltration and counter-terrorism role in the region, while the BSF guards stretches of the international border. Jammu and Kashmir Police and the CRPF also play central roles in internal security and counter-terrorism operations.
Tuesday’s searches span locations separated by considerable distances, indicating that the operation is not confined to a single suspected movement or one immediate cordon.
Officials have not disclosed whether the reports from Rajouri, Poonch and Kathua are believed to be connected.
Nor has information been released on the number or identity of any suspected individuals whose movement may have triggered the searches.
That leaves the immediate purpose of the operation focused on verification.
Security personnel are examining forest belts, possible shelters and other vulnerable locations to determine whether armed individuals are present and to prevent any suspected movement from developing into a wider security incident.
The western districts of the Jammu region have remained an important focus for counter-terrorism and border-security operations because of their geography, proximity to the Line of Control and international border, and extensive forest cover.
In such terrain, reports from local residents, surveillance systems and other intelligence inputs can prompt searches even when there has been no direct encounter.
Authorities have not reported firing, casualties or recoveries from the latest operations.
With no contact established so far, the searches remain precautionary and investigative rather than an active encounter.
Security forces are continuing to comb the identified areas in Rajouri, Poonch and Kathua while maintaining surveillance around possible routes and natural hideouts.
The operations will continue until the reported suspicious movement has been traced or the possibility of a militant presence in the areas has been ruled out.
