Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir): Security forces on Monday launched a massive search operation and detained three persons in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch following inputs about the presence of militants in the area, sources said. It is learnt that the search operation was launched by joint teams of Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Indian Army and paramilitary forces “to flush out suspected terrorists in the forest areas of Rajouri and Poonch districts” in Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday.
As the massive search operation went on, security forces also detained three persons for questioning in connection with the case. Sources said that the joint search operations by police, Army, and CRPF in different parts of Budhal, Thanamandi, Sunderbani, and Kalakote in Rajouri and Mendhar in Poonch were underway when last reports were received.
According to the sources, the three persons were picked up for questioning from Barote in Budhal on Sunday evening. Searches have been on in Muradpur, Bathuni, Ghai Bhawal (Sunderbani), Tatta Pani Broh in Kalakote, Ghambir Mughlan in Manjakote, and Rajdhani-Thanamandi in Rajouri since Monday morning, officials said.
Significantly, the search operation comes over a week after five Army soldiers including two officers were killed in a fierce encounter between militants and security forces in the Bajimaal Dharmsaal forest area of Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. In the two-day encounter on Nov 22-23, security forces also killed two militants including a hard-core top Lashkar e Toiba (LeT) Quari and his associate.
Army said Quari was known to be the mastermind behind Dangri incident, in which six innocent civilians were killed in Jan 23, this year as well as Kandi attacks in the Rajouri-Poonch areas areas adding he was “instrumental in the revival of terrorism in these districts”.
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