Sighting of terror suspects prompts search operation in J&K’s Samba

JAMMU: Security agencies in J&K were put on high alert on Wednesday after the reported sighting of terror suspects in a village in Samba district prompted a joint search operation, even as security forces intensified the cordon-and-search operation in Majalta and its surrounding areas in Udhampur district to track and kill fleeing ultras involved in the Dec 15 encounter.

Wednesday’s searches were launched after some villagers allegedly spotted three unidentified men with backpacks moving suspiciously in Samba’s Charwa-Mansa area and alerted police. A team of cops rushed to the village to assess the situation, following which the area was cordoned off for combing by a joint team of security personnel, official sources said. Forests, deserted roads, and other vulnerable locations were being scoured to rule out the presence of anti-national elements, sources said, adding that the situation was being closely monitored.


Meanwhile, the massive cordon-and-search operation launched in Udhampur’s Majalta on Monday night, to hunt down three Pakistani terrorists who allegedly escaped the cordon after killing an SOG constable and injuring four more security personnel in a gunfight in Soan village, entered its third day on Wednesday.

In view of the present security situation, DIG (Jammu-Samba-Kathua Range) Shiv Kumar reviewed the operational preparedness of forces in Billawar, Samba, Ramkot, and Manwal areas in neighbouring Kathua district on Wednesday and conducted a joint meeting with Army authorities. The DIG was accompanied by Kathua SSP Mohita Sharma and Samba SSP Varinder Manas.

The DIG underscored the importance of maintaining peace and security in the area and directed all officers to remain extra vigilant. He instructed that additional forces be mobilised in sensitive areas to prevent any untoward situations, while stressing the significance of intelligence gathering and timely sharing of information to flag any security threats.