Security personnel keep a strict vigil during a joint search operation launched by Jammu and Kashmir Police and troops of Rising Star Corps on input regarding the presence of terrorists, at Saniyal Hiranagar in Kathua on Sunday (March 23, 2025).
| Photo Credit: ANI
A major anti-militancy operation was launched on Sunday (March 23, 2025) evening after a group of militants were engaged in a firefight in a forest area of Jammu’s Kathua district.
Preliminary reports suggested the security forces had received a tip-off about the movement of militants at Sanyal village, close to the Indo-Pakistan border in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district.
“During the combing operation of the security forces, a group of militants was spotted in a jungle area. The militants took cover of the undulating topography and dense green cover inside the forests,” officials said.
Reinforcements were rushed to throw a multi-tier cordon around the area where militants opened fire on the security forces.
Preliminary reports suggested a girl was injured in the exchange of fire. The police could not confirm any casualty immediately. There were reports of attempts to take civilians as hostages.
Kathua has seen heightened militant activity in the past year, with several groups from Pakistan crossing into the Jammu region from the International Border (IB).
J&K Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat also visited Kathua, where the anti-militancy operation is on. He took stock of the situation and assessed the tactics adopted by the security forces to track the hiding militants.
Published – March 23, 2025 11:46 pm IST
