JAMMU/SRINAGAR: Security forces on Sunday launched multiple search operations in parts of Rajouri and Udhampur districts following reports of suspected militant movement, while Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma reviewed the security situation in South Kashmir and stressed the need for continued vigilance.
Officials said a joint search operation was launched in the Sunderbani sector of Rajouri after three suspected militants allegedly abducted a villager, identified as Anil Sudan, from Upper Lardia late Saturday night.
According to officials, the suspects reportedly used Sudan as a guide before releasing him around 3.15 am near the Dua Khad forest area. Following the incident, police and Army personnel rushed to the area and launched a combing operation to trace the suspects.
No contact had been established with the suspected militants till the filing of this report, officials said.
Security forces also launched a separate operation in the Mandugala Dhok forest area of Rajouri after local residents reported seeing two armed persons dressed in black and carrying backpacks.
Another search operation was underway in Chigli Keya village of Udhampur district following reports of suspicious movement, officials said.
The operations come less than three weeks after two Pakistani militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Udhampur’s Majalta area on September 17. Officials had said at the time that another militant was believed to have escaped after sustaining injuries.
Meanwhile, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma visited a Rashtriya Rifles formation in South Kashmir to review the prevailing security situation.
According to the Army’s Northern Command, the commander commended troops for their professionalism and operational performance and emphasised the need for sustained vigilance and close coordination among security agencies to maintain peace and stability in the region.
The review comes amid continued anti-militancy operations across Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the forested belts of the Jammu region, which have witnessed heightened security activity in recent months.
