In Jammu and Kashmir, the security forces resumed the search operation in the morning today to track down terrorists hiding in a forest in Kathua district, where one security person suffered a minor injury. Akashvani Jammu Correspondent reports that the joint action by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of J&K Police and other security forces was launched at Kahog village in Billawar area last evening, leading to an encounter. The search operation to track down the hiding terrorists has been resumed after a night-long cordon.

The searches are being conducted in the Dhanu Parole-Kamadh nallah area. Additional forces have been called in, along with aerial surveillance, to pin down the terrorists hiding in the dense forest. IGP, Jammu Zone, Bhim Sen Tuti, said in a post on X, “Despite darkness, thick vegetation and treacherous terrain, the SOG is relentlessly engaging the terrorists. Teams of the CRPF are also participating in the joint operation. According to officials, the firing between the two sides lasted for more than an hour before the guns fell silent. There are also reports of the movement of three groups of infiltrating terrorists in the region.

Army, BSF, Police and CRPF are continuously conducting search operations, identifying border dwellers, and intensifying patrols along the International Border in Samba and Kathua districts and the adjoining areas of Punjab for the past one month. A multi-tier security grid comprising the BSF, border police, and Village Defence Guards has been put on alert ahead of the Republic Day on January 26.