Jammu: Army troops exchanged fire with terrorists in the higher reaches of Kathua district in the early hours of Saturday, officials said, as a massive search operation is underway to trace out the ultras who fled after the initial fire-fight.
The sentry post of a temporary Army camp in Batod panchayat detected the movement of suspected terrorists at around 1:20 am and opened fire, the officials said.
They said the terrorists fired back and the intermittent exchange of fire continued between the two sides for nearly half an hour.
However, there was no casualty on either side, the officials said, adding that the terrorists, believed to be three in number, fled into a nearby forest.
They said the Army troops have launched a cordon-and-search operation to track down the terrorists and further details are awaited.
BSF officer urges troops to maintain border domination
A top BSF officer reviewed the security situation along the International Border in Jammu and directed the troops to maintain effective border domination to prevent anti-national activities.
Additional Director General (Western Command) of the Border Security Force (BSF) Satish S Khandare arrived in the Jammu frontier on a three-day tour on January 23, visiting forward areas in Kathua and Jammu districts, a force spokesperson said on Saturday.
He was briefed by field commanders on the prevailing security situation.
Addressing a Prahari Sammelan at the BSF’s Jammu frontier headquarters on Saturday, Khandare praised the troops for their dedication towards border duties and asked them to maintain effective border domination to prevent anti-national activities.
He visited the border areas in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district, where he was briefed on the operational aspects by the field commanders, the spokesperson said.
He also visited the Akhnoor border area of Jammu district, where he was briefed by the sector commander and battalion commandant about the force’s operational preparedness.
Khandare discussed critical aspects of border management, including the general security scenario and domination along the International Border, the spokesperson said.
He also interacted with the troops and appreciated them for performing their duties with dedication and professionalism.
