The search operation to track down three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists trapped in a forest area of Basantgarh in Udhampur continued for a second day on Friday.
According to police , a terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces yesterday and three of his associates remain trapped in the forest area of the Basantgarh belt.
The police and army had launched a joint operation in the forest area of Basantgarh yesterday after receiving inputs about the presence of a group of four heavily armed terrorists.
“During the day-long encounter, one terrorist was killed while three were still trapped,” a security official said.
He said the operation was suspended during the night.
“Backed by drones and sniffer dogs, the operation resumed this morning with the cordon further strengthened with additional reinforcements to track down the remaining terrorists of the group,” the security official said.
IGP Jammu Bhim Sen Tuti said one terrorist has been killed and the search is on to track down the remaining three.
“The weather has now improved in the area. An operation is underway," he said.
The group of four terrorists had been tracked for a year. They were confronted by a joint search party of the Army and police in the remote Bihali area of Basantgarh on Thursday morning, officials said.
The four terrorists were found hiding near Karoor Nallah and were engaged by the joint search party led by the Army’s Para Commandos, resulting in an encounter.
One of the terrorists killed in the encounter has been identified as Haider alias Maulvi from Pakistan.
It is also believed that a local terrorist who had returned from Pakistan after several years is actively supporting terrorists.