'Fugitive' terrorists spotted in Udhampur, search launched

JAMMU: Security forces launched a manhunt Thursday using drones and military dogs in J&K’s Udhampur district after reports that armed men were spotted near the border with Kathua district. The search follows the March 24 gunfight in which five Pakistani terrorists killed four policemen in Kathua. Two terrorists were killed, but three managed to escape.

The multi-tier operation to capture the three fugitives entered its 12th day, with additional troops deployed to reinforce the search. “Our forces were assisting the operation in Kathua district the past eight days,” Udhampur DIG Rayees Mohammad Bhat said.

The operation expanded after armed men demanded food from residents in Khabbal village of Udhampur, seized a mobile phone, and fled into dense forests.

They are believed to the same men spotted in combat clothing in Ghati-Juthana forest on April 1, just a few km from Kathua’s Sufain forest, where the March 24 gunfight occurred. The fugitives are constantly shifting locations, exploiting the mountainous terrain’s natural cover such as caves and thick vegetation, officials said.

Kathua district has long been a key infiltration route for terrorists due to its strategic position along the Pakistan border. It connects with Doda and Udhampur districts to the north, providing a corridor to Kashmir valley. Terrorists prefer this route to move from Kathua to Udhampur and into Doda before entering Kashmir, officials said.