Jammu: A massive search operation resumed on Monday in the Bharat Ridge area connecting Kishtwar and Doda districts of Jammu and Kashmir after a brief night halt. The operation aims to track down militants hiding in the region since yesterday.
On Sunday, an encounter broke out between a joint team of the Army and police and militants around 11 am in the Keshwan forest area and went on for more than four hours. A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar of the Army's 2 Para, was killed and three other soldiers were injured in the gunfight.
Security forces have been scouring the forests for almost four days for the militants who abducted and killed two Village Defence Guards (VDGs), Kuldeep Kumar and Nazir Ahmed, in the upper reaches of the Kuntwara area of Kishtwar. Following the killing, security forces started the operation to trace the hiding militants.
After Sunday's firefight, more forces were rushed to the area from both sides of the Bharat Ridge, from the Keshwan side of Kishtwar and the Bharat side of Doda. The elite para commandos were also airdropped in the area through helicopters, whereas police and the Army from local base camps have cordoned off the area.
On Saturday, General Officer Commanding (GOC) Lieutenant General Navin Sachdeva, along with the commanders, visited Bharat Ridge to review the preparedness. “#GOC #WhiteknightCorps along with commanders visited #Kishtwar and the general area of Bhart Ridge and reviewed the operations in progress,” 16 Corps spokesman posted on X.
A day after GOC visited the area, the forces had success in establishing contact with the militants, and a heavy exchange of fire took place. But during the gunfight, the forces suffered one casualty, whereas the militants managed to give a slip. Now, more forces have been rushed from both sides. Choppers and drones have also been pushed into the service in the operation, and efforts to trace the militants are going on.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, SSP Doda Muhammad Aslam said, “Police and Army from the Bharat side of district Doda have been pushed in to cordon off the area as the search operation is under progress.”
Bharat Ridge connects the upper reaches of the Kuntwara and Keshwan areas of the Kishtwar district with the Bharat and Dessa areas of the Doda district. It is also connected with the upper reaches of the Kapran area of the Anantnag district of the Kashmir valley. The ridge is home to dense forests, long meadows, streams, and tough terrain. With the forecast of rain and light snowfall on the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir, this area may also witness weather activity that can hinder the operation.
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