SRINAGAR 30 May: Militants remained untraced despite multiple contacts and exchanges of fire with security forces as a massive joint anti-militancy operation in the forest areas of Rajouri district entered its eighth day on Saturday.
The operation, codenamed Operation Sheruwali, is underway in the dense forest stretches of Gambhir Mughlan and Dorimal in the Manjakote sector following intelligence inputs regarding the presence of militants hiding in the area.
Officials said the search operation has been intensified, with para commandos deployed in the rugged terrain, helicopters carrying out aerial surveillance and sniffer dogs pressed into service to trace movement within the thick forest cover.
Heavy firing and shelling were reported from the Dorimal forest area as security forces tightened the cordon around suspected militant hideouts.
The joint operation, involving the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), has witnessed large-scale deployment, with additional reinforcements and logistical support rushed to the area.
According to officials, two to three militants are believed to be trapped in the area. Security forces have tightened the cordon and stepped up surveillance to prevent any possible escape, they said.
Officials said efforts were focused on maintaining a strong cordon and blocking possible escape routes through the dense forest belt.
Security forces continued deep search and combing operations under heightened surveillance, with officials maintaining that all efforts were underway to trace the militants.
The entire forest belt remained under strict security watch as the operation continued for the eighth consecutive day.
