J&K: Fresh firing & blasts reported from site of encounter in Rajouri

Srinagar: Fresh firing and blasts were reported from the encounter site in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir where the operation against infiltrators entered the third day on Monday. Officials said they have been able to locate a suspected hideout of the infiltrators from where some items were recovered.

The joint operation by a team of the Army, J&K Police and CRPF - known as 'Operation Sheruwali' - is going on in the Dorimal-Gambhir-Moghla belt of Manjakote area of Rajouri from May 23, following inputs about the movement of 2-3 suspected infiltrators.

In the initial hours of the operation on Saturday, the armed forces established contact with the infiltrators and exchanged fire but were able to flee from the spot, taking advantage of the forested terrain. However, the cordon and search operation continued and fresh firing and blasts were reported by locals on Monday.


"The operation to track down the suspected terrorists is going on amid a strong cordon. Surveillance has also been put in place. Drones and sniffer dogs have been pushed into action," a senior official said.

The armed forces said they have expanded the searches to adjoining areas, intensifying operations and additional troops have been deployed to track down "suspected terrorists believed to be hiding in the area".

In February, the Army killed three terrorists in Kishtwar area of Jammu, including a top commander Saifullah who was active in the region for over three years. Police and the Army maintain that despite fresh ceasefire between Indian and Pakistani Army since February 2021, several terrorists have managed to cross LoC and international border and are active in Jammu and some parts of Kashmir.