After fresh ‘terrorist sighting’ in Gurdaspur, forces on toes again

Security forces again launched a manhunt for two suspected terrorists at Tibri on Saturday, barely hours after they unsuccessfully ended a two-day search at the nearby village of Pandheri.

Hours after security forces called off the search for suspected terrorists at Pandheri village, another manhunt was launched to trace the two men, reportedly armed and in army fatigues, in Tibri.

Senior superintendent of police (SP) Gurpreet Singh Toor told HT that personnel of the army, the local police, the Border Security Force and the Israel-trained SWAT rushed to Tibri after a youth claimed to have seen the two terrorists. (Kamaljit Singh Kamal/HT Photo)

The Tibri Military Station is a strategic installation spread over 2,500 acres.

Senior SP Gurpreet Singh Toor told HT that army personnel, Punjab police, Border Security Force and the SWAT teams were rushed to Tibri after a youth claimed to have seen two terrorists.

Security personnel on guard at the Tibri village near Tibri Military Station on Saturday.

Toor said the forces were searching all buildings, including the abandoned ones, at Tibri and other nearby villages.

The men, who wore magazines across their chests and swimming goggles with torches fitted on them, tried to attack him when he feigned ignorance about the location of the cantonment, said the 22-year-old who fled on his bicycle. One of the men was carrying a “loaded bag”, he added.

While Luvpreet claims that the army and local police personnel deployed the nearby checkpost dismissed his account of the incident, SSP Toor said the forces were taking all information on the suspected terrorists seriously.