Security forces have intensified their search for militants following an exchange of fire in Kathua on Sunday. In a rare move, Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat personally joined the combing operations in the dense forests on Monday, marking the first such instance in over three decades.
Accompanied by top officials, including IGP (Jammu Zone) Bhim Sen Tuti, DIG (Jammu-Samba-Kathua Range) Shiv Kumar Sharma, Kathua SSP Shobhit Saksena, and SP (Operations) Nasir Khan, DGP Prabhat was seen wielding an AK-47 as he led the search efforts.
The operation was launched after militants, suspected to have infiltrated from across the border into Saniyal village in the Hiranagar sector, were spotted by local residents, who promptly alerted authorities. A brief firefight ensued on Sunday evening before the militants retreated into the forested terrain.
Police sources believe that around five to six militants remain holed up in the area. The village remains tense, with security forces urging residents to stay indoors.
Kathua district, which shares an International Border with Pakistan, has become a key infiltration route for militants attempting to reach the higher reaches of the Kailash tri-junction linking Udhampur, Doda, and Kishtwar districts. Last year, five soldiers were killed in a militant ambush on an Army convoy in the region.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah confirmed that there has been no fresh contact with the militants since the initial skirmish. While he acknowledged that the infiltrators likely entered from across the border, he emphasized the need to monitor the situation as it unfolds.
