Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district seized a cache of incriminating materials, including loaded magazines for M4 carbine assault rifles and grenades, as they intensified efforts to eliminate a group of infiltrating terrorists, officials reported on Monday. The operation, personally overseen by Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, began on Sunday evening in the Hiranagar sector. It was further escalated on Monday morning with additional commandos, drones, and sniffer dogs deployed to the area. Later in the day, an army helicopter was also spotted hovering over the region.

The police, alongside the Special Operations Group, initiated the mission after receiving intelligence about terrorists hiding in a 'dhok'—a local term for an enclosure—within a nursery in Sanyal village, approximately five kilometers from the Pakistan border. Upon confrontation, the terrorists opened fire on security forces, leading to an intense gun battle lasting over 30 minutes. A seven-year-old girl sustained minor injuries when a stray bullet grazed her arm, and she was admitted to a local hospital.

Reinforcements were quickly sent in, launching a massive manhunt for the terrorists, who are suspected to have infiltrated on Saturday, possibly via a ravine route or through an underground tunnel. While no casualties were initially reported, security forces maintained a tight cordon around the area overnight before advancing at dawn. During their search, authorities recovered four loaded M4 carbine magazines, two grenades, a bulletproof jacket, sleeping bags, tracksuits, food packets, and sealed polythene bags, which are being examined by the bomb disposal squad.

DGP Prabhat personally led the operation deep into the forested region, carrying an AK assault rifle and coordinating efforts from the ground. Reports suggest that at least two groups of five terrorists each may have infiltrated. Meanwhile, local villagers set up a community kitchen to support security forces and journalists stationed near the outer cordon.

Eyewitnesses, including some women collecting firewood, claimed to have seen around five heavily armed terrorists in the nursery. Anita Devi, a 48-year-old resident, recounted how her husband was briefly held at gunpoint before she managed to escape and alert others. The terrorists were described as having beards and wearing commando uniforms. District Development Councillor Karan Kumar confirmed that heavy gunfire was heard in the area. "The presence of terrorists has instilled fear in the village. We heard around 250 rounds of gunfire," he said, adding that security forces had surrounded the entire area to flush them out.

Kathua has become a key infiltration route for Pakistan-based terrorists attempting to reach Udhampur, Doda, and Kishtwar before heading to Kashmir. Over the past four years, terrorist activity in Rajouri and Poonch has expanded to six other districts in Jammu, resulting in 44 deaths in 2024, including 18 security personnel and 13 terrorists.

Although Rajouri and Poonch saw a decline in terror incidents in 2024, the surge in violence in Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Kathua, Udhampur, and Jammu between April and May raised concerns among security agencies. According to official data, nine people were killed in Doda, Kathua, and Reasi, five in Kishtwar, four in Udhampur, three each in Jammu and Rajouri, and two in Poonch last year.

In early 2025, Kathua was also rocked by protests following the mysterious deaths of five people in Billawar tehsil. The bodies of 15-year-old Varun Singh, his uncles Yogesh Singh (32) and Darshan Singh (40), were found in Ishu nullah in Malhar on March 8, days after they went missing while attending a wedding. Additionally, on February 16, two men, Shamsher (37) and Roshan (45), were found strangled in Kohag village, raising further tensions in the region.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from PTI.