Security forces search Jammu and Kashmir forests after reported movement

Security forces launched search operations in forest areas of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri and Udhampur districts on Sunday after officials received information about suspected terrorist movement. Officials said three suspected terrorists allegedly abducted a villager, Anil Sudan, near his home at Upper Lardia in Rajouri’s Sunderbani sector late on Saturday. The men reportedly released him at about 3.15am after using him as a guide to reach the Dua Khad forest.

Police and Army personnel moved into the area after receiving the report and began a combing operation. Officials said there had been no contact with the suspected terrorists at the time of the report. Security forces also cordoned off the Mandugala Dhok forest in Rajouri after local residents reported seeing two people wearing black clothing and carrying backpacks and weapons.

A separate search operation was under way at Chigli Keya village in Udhampur. The operations covered areas where officials were seeking to establish whether the reported sightings were connected. The source material did not report arrests, casualties or an encounter during the searches.

The latest operations follow an encounter in Udhampur’s Majalta area on September 17. Officials said two Pakistani terrorists were killed in that engagement, while another was reportedly injured and escaped. The searches reflect continued security activity in forested areas of the two districts following reports from residents and the alleged abduction.

Authorities had not announced the identities of the suspected terrorists or provided further details about their movements. Officials said police and Army units remained engaged in the operations. The source material did not indicate when the searches would end or whether additional deployments had been ordered.