Terror suspects spotted, search ops launched in J&K’s Doda & Poonch

Security forces initiated cordon-and-search operations in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda and Poonch districts after receiving alerts about suspected terrorists, officials announced on Tuesday. The operations commenced in Doda's higher elevations following reports from locals who captured video footage of four individuals trekking on Ramtund Peak. Preliminary reports suggest the group consisted of three alleged Pakistani nationals and one local terrorist.

Reinforcements, including troops from the Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the police, were dispatched to the region on Tuesday morning from Udhampur. However, no contact was made with the suspects until the evening of the same day. The Ramtund area is situated near the Seoj Dhar belt, which lies along the Doda-Udhampur axis and connects to the Kathua region. Historically, terrorists have utilized this route to move and conceal themselves due to the area's dense vegetation and natural caves.

Doda's searches followed four days after local police displayed posters across Jammu and Kashmir, offering a reward of Rs 15 lakh for credible information leading to the arrest of self-styled Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Mohammad Lateef Bhat. In Poonch, security forces conducted an intensive search operation in the Mendhar sector after detecting suspicious movement near an under-construction tunnel.

A security guard at the site fired three to four rounds as a precautionary measure, prompting a joint team of Special Operations Group (SOG) and CRPF to initiate a search operation around 6 am Tuesday in the nearby forested stretches of Bhatadurian, Sangiot, and adjoining areas.