J-K: Security forces hunt for 3 terrorists holed up in Udhampur village

Jammu, Dec 16 (PTI) Security forces intensified search for three terrorists in a village in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, a day after a policeman was killed in a gunfight there, officials said.

      During the encounter in Soan village of Majalta area on Monday, one terrorist was believed to have been injured, while two policemen suffered minor bullet wounds.

      Speaking to reporters at Udhampur, Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone, Bhim Sen Tuti said that the search operation is on.

"The terrorists escaped towards the forest area after the initial gunfight. It is a dense forest area. There are three terrorists holed up. Operation is underway,” he said.

      The IGP said an operation was launched on specific information in Soan village on Monday evening.

        “The information turned out to be true and an encounter took place. We had a small Special Operations Group party. During the firefight, Amjad Ali Khan, our policeman, suffered injuries. We tried to evacuate him, but due to excessive blood loss, we lost him,” he said.

A wreath-laying ceremony was held in Udhampur to pay tributes to slain constable Amjad Ali Khan of the 22nd Battalion of the Indian Reserve Police.

Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat led the solemn ceremony, held at the District Police Lines in Udhampur, to honour the constable.

      Earlier, a police officer told PTI that the operation has been resumed in the area to track down the holed-up terrorists. "The cordon has been further strengthened."         A joint team of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of police, along with the Army and the CRPF, is on the job with sniffer dogs, the officer added.

        On Monday, forces got locked in a gunfight with terrorists in Soan village.

        The village was raided by the police on a tip-off about the presence of three terrorists, believed to be affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit.

        The encounter took place in the besieged village around 6 pm on Monday and continued for some time.

      The operation was suspended for the night, and would be resumed with the first light of the day on Tuesday, official had said.

        Udhampur''s Basantgarh lies on the route traditionally used by Pakistani terrorists to enter from the International Border in Kathua and move to Doda and Kishtwar districts in Jammu, and further into the Kashmir Valley.

      The area has witnessed several encounters and terror incidents in the past. PTI AB KVK KVK