Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday intensified the search for three terrorists in a village in Udhampur district, a day after a policeman was killed in a gunfight, officials said.
The encounter took place at village Soan in Majalta area of the hilly district when security forces launched a search operation following information about the presence of three terrorists believed to be affiliated with Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit, PTI news agency quoted officials as saying.
During the encounter in Soan village of the Majalta area on Monday, one terrorist was injured while two policemen sustained minor bullet wounds.
Inspector General of Police (Jammu Zone) Bhim Sen Tuti said the search operation was continuing.
“The terrorists escaped towards the forest area after the initial gunfight. It is a dense forest area. There are three terrorists holed up. Operation is underway,” he told reporters in Udhampur.
The IGP said the operation was launched on specific intelligence inputs in Soan village on Monday evening.
{{/usCountry}}The IGP said the operation was launched on specific intelligence inputs in Soan village on Monday evening.
{{/usCountry}}“The information turned out to be true and an encounter took place. We had a small Special Operations Group party. During the firefight, Amjad Ali Khan, our policeman, suffered injuries. We tried to evacuate him, but due to excessive blood loss, we lost him,” he was quoted as saying.
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Tribute to constable who died in the encounter
A wreath-laying ceremony was held in Udhampur to pay tributes to slain constable Amjad Ali Khan of the 22nd Battalion of the Indian Reserve Police.
Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat led the solemn ceremony at the District Police Lines in Udhampur.
A joint team of the police’s Special Operations Group (SOG), the Army and the CRPF is carrying out the operation with the help of sniffer dogs, the officer said.
On Monday, security forces engaged in a gunfight with terrorists in Soan village after police conducted a raid based on a tip-off about the presence of three terrorists, believed to be affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit.
The encounter began around 6 pm on Monday and continued for some time. The operation was suspended overnight and resumed with first light on Tuesday, officials said.
Udhampur’s Basantgarh area lies along a route traditionally used by Pakistani terrorists to infiltrate from the International Border in Kathua and move towards Doda and Kishtwar districts, and further into the Kashmir Valley.
The region has witnessed several encounters and terror-related incidents in the past.