KATHUA, April 1 – Security forces engaged three absconding militants in a fierce gun battle late Monday night in the Panjtirthi area, located in the mountains between Ghati and Billawar in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, officials said.
The exchange of fire, which lasted around 40 minutes, came after security personnel spotted the militants moving toward the Billawar mountains. A search operation will resume early Tuesday morning to locate the militants.
Earlier in the day, security forces continued their massive search operation in Ghati heights for the fifth consecutive day to track down the three remaining militants from a group of five. Two militants were killed in an encounter on March 27, which also left four security personnel dead.
Despite intensified combing operations using aerial surveillance and sniffer dogs, no contact was established with the militants during the day. The forces expanded their search in the forested areas surrounding Rui, where the suspects were last seen after taking food from a woman’s house on Sunday night.
Security forces, including the Indian Army, NSG, J&K Police, Special Operations Group (SOG), and paramilitary forces, have deployed a multi-tier operation in the forest belts of Rui, Juthana, Ghati, Sanyal, and Billawar. A parallel search is underway in Samba sector near the International Border (IB) to sanitize the area.
On Sunday night, three armed suspects dressed in black entered a house in Rui village and asked an elderly woman for water before forcibly taking food from her kitchen. “I was alone at home when they asked for water. I went into another room out of fear. Before leaving, they took rotis and sabzi and even offered me money, which I refused,” the woman told reporters.
Following the incident, security forces imposed a night cordon to prevent the militants’ escape. Officials emphasized that militants rely on networks of Overground Workers (OGWs) for food, shelter, and escape routes. Six people, including women from the family of Mohammad Latief, a jailed OGW, have been detained for questioning on suspicions of aiding the militants. Latief was arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for assisting terrorists in a 2024 attack on an army truck that killed five soldiers.
Investigators believe Abu Tala, one of the slain militants, stayed at Latief’s house before being killed in last week’s encounter.
Police continue tracking a group of militants intercepted on March 23 in a ‘dhok’ (enclosure) in a nursery in Sanyal village near the Pakistan border. This led to the March 27 encounter in Safiyan Jakhole, Rajbagh area, where two militants and four policemen were killed.
❤️ Support Independent Journalism
Your contribution keeps our reporting free, fearless, and accessible to everyone.
Or make a one-time donation
Secure via Razorpay • 12 monthly payments • Cancel anytime before next cycle
(We don't allow anyone to copy content. For Copyright or Use of Content related questions, visit here.)
The Chenab Times News Desk
