Kathua encounter: Search operation intensifies in J&K after terrorists escape

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Security forces on Sunday evening confronted a group of terrorists hiding in a dense nursery after infiltrating from across the border in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, leading to an intense gunfight, officials said. The firing that lasted for over half an hour in the evening intensified on Monday morning.

The operation led by Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat was intensified with additional deployment of commandos, drones and sniffer dogs this morning as security forces carried out searches in the dense nursery where the terrorists are believed hiding after infiltrating from across the border, officials said.

Army's Rising Star Corps (IX Corps) said in a post on X that a joint operation involving police forces and Army troops is currently in progress in the Sanyal Hiranagar area based on the intelligence input regarding the presence of terrorists.

After the initial gunbattle, the terrorists managed to escape from the point of first contact and the search operations continued, which will be intensified today, officials were quoted by India Today.

The officials said the operation was launched following an intelligence input regarding the presence of terrorists inside a 'dhok' — a local term for an enclosure — located within the nursery in Sanyal village, approximately five kilometres from the international border with Pakistan.

A police team from the Special Operations Group initiated a search operation after receiving the input and when the personnel entered the area, they came under heavy fire from the terrorists, leading to a gunfight.

One of the inputs also suggested that two groups of 5-6 terrorists each infiltrated on Saturday.

According to the officials, some village women collecting firewood reported seeing around five terrorists who had sought refuge in the expansive nursery area.

A seven-year-old girl sustained minor injuries and was shifted to a local hospital. However, the circumstances leading to her injury were not clear immediately.

Anita Devi (48) said heavily armed terrorists caught hold of her husband when they had gone to the nursery to collect firewood.

"The terrorists were holding my husband at gunpoint and also asked me to come near. But my husband signalled me to escape and I started running away. One of the terrorists tried to stop me but in vain as I started shouting, which attracted the attention of two more persons who were cutting grass," Devi told PTI.

She said the incident occurred around 4.30 pm and all of them returned home and informed police.

There were five of them and they had beards, Devi said.

District Development Councillor Karan Kumar also said heavy gunfire was heard in the region.

"An atmosphere of fear has gripped the village due to the presence of terrorists. We heard around 250 rounds of intense gunfire," Kumar said, adding security forces have encircled the area to flush out the terrorists.