Contact established with terrorists in Basantgarh, search operation on

Few rounds fired by both sides

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 6: Security forces today established contact with a group of terrorists near Kabristan, Thanda Pani at Khaned in Basantgarh area of Udhampur district resulting into an encounter but there were no reports of any casualties of the terrorists so far.
Officials said few rounds have been fired from both sides in Khaned area of Basantgarh when joint search parties of the police and the Army moved deep inside the densely forested area to track down the terrorists.

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There was no report of any casualty, they said and added that a hunt for the terrorists was underway.
“After specific input was gleaned regarding movements in the area, a SADO (Search and Destroy Operation) was launched in the wee hours today (Tuesday) by our parties; contact has been established with a group of terrorists in the Khaned area of Basantgarh police station. Ops (operations) underway,” Deputy Inspector General (Udhampur) Mohammad Rayees said in a post on X.
SSP Udhampur Joginder Singh said the search operation is on to track down the terrorists and security personnel are on the job.
Reinforcements have also rushed to the area to track down and neutralise the holed-up terrorists, the officials said.
Army, police and paramilitary forces have been maintaining strong cordon in the area to ensure that the terrorists don’t manage to escape during the night taking cover of darkness.
Though exact number of terrorists wasn’t known, there were reports that a group of three to four terrorists was active in the area.
In April, a Village Defence Guard was martyred in a gunfight with terrorists in the Dudu area of Basantgarh while the terrorists had managed to escape.
Regular search operations and long range patrols including deep inside the forests are being taken out regularly in Basantgarh.