Massive hunt underway, over 20 detained for questioning
To track down the terrorists involved in the Kathua ambush in which five soldiers were killed, over 20 persons have been detained for questioning while a massive hunt entered its third day on Wednesday.
Doda operation is also underway and both the operations are being monitored by senior Police and Army officials.
“A massive hunt is going on from Kathua, Bhaderwah, and Udhampur sides despite intermittent heavy rains and fog in dense forests,” a senior Police officer from the Jammu division said. “We are questioning some people in the backdrop of the Kathua ambush.”
The officer said joint search parties of Police, Army, and paramilitary forces were carrying out intense searches in the forest area around the incident spot.
“Terrain is very difficult and no stone is being left unturned to track down the involved terrorists,” he said.
The officer said that in the backdrop of the Kathua ambush, Army and Police personnel had been deployed in dense forests across Udhampur, Samba, Rajouri, and Poonch districts.
Fresh searches have been initiated in the Lala Chack area of Samba, the Manjakote area of Rajouri, and the Surankote area of Poonch since Wednesday morning.
He said elite paratroopers of the Army have also been deployed to conduct the searches.
“The search teams are supported by helicopter and UAV surveillance while sniffer dogs and metal detectors are also being used, particularly in the dense forest areas,” the officer said.
He said that the National Investigation Agency visited the ambush site and was assisting the Police in the investigation.
The terrorists opened fire at two Army vehicles on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar mountain road near Badnota village, about 150 km from the district headquarters of Kathua in the Jammu region, resulting in the killing of five soldiers and wounds to five others.
The terrorists targeted the trucks, which were around 500 metres apart, with grenades and, in worrying signs, used armour-piercing bullets (those tipped with hardened steel) and an M4 assault rifle.
Over the last 2 years and 8 months, 44 soldiers have been killed in the Jammu region, which was believed to be free from terrorism.
After almost every attack, the terrorists manage to escape without any casualties.
The Kathua attack was the second one on the Army in the past two days.
On Sunday, they attacked an Army camp in Rajouri.
One soldier was injured but the attack was repulsed.
On Tuesday, senior Police officers including Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Ranjan Swain and high-ranking Army officials met in Kathua to review the situation and response to the terror attack.
DODA OPERATION ENTERS 2ND DAY
Meanwhile, the operation to locate terrorists in the Doda district of Jammu entered its second day on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, there was a heavy exchange of fire between terrorists and security forces in the Ghadi Bhagwah forest area of Doda.
The area is bordered by Kishtwar district and massive searches are underway.
Police and security forces believe at least two terrorists were injured in Tuesday’s exchange of fire.
“The operation resumed on Wednesday morning and is underway,” senior Police officials here said.
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