Jammu, May 19 (IANS) A search operation was launched in J&K’s Rajouri district on Monday after suspected movement was reported in its border area, officials said.

Officials said that the security forces started a search operation following reports of suspected movement in the border belt of Rajouri.

Another search operation is going on in the forest belt of Poonch district as well.

“Rajouri operation was started after receiving information that a woman had spotted three suspected persons in the Nowshera area late Sunday night,” an official said.

Meanwhile, J&K Police on Monday arrested two terror associates in Shopian district along with arms & ammunition.

“In a notable operation against terrorism a joint naka comprising SOG Shopian,CRPF 178 BN & 34 RR two suspected persons arrested”, Shopian police said in a post on X.

“Upon their search 04 hand grenades, 02 pistols, 43 live rounds & other incriminating materials recovered & accordingly an FIR registered”.

Joint forces have started aggressive operations against terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs), and their sympathisers across J&K.

These operations are jointly carried out by the army, police and the security forces. Last week, six terrorists were killed in two back-to-back operations in Shopian and Pulwama districts.

The slain terrorists included the operational commander of the LeT.

LeT terrorists on April 22 killed 26 civilians, including a local, in Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam after segregating them on the basis of religion.

In response, the Indian government, in addition to various diplomatic measures against Pakistan, ordered precision-guided targeted strikes at terrorist headquarters deep inside Pakistan, including Muridke near Lahore, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

Pakistan reacted by Indiscriminate mortar shelling on the line of control (LoC) and the international border (IB) in J&K.

Over 200 houses and shops were destroyed in Pakistan’s mortar shelling on civilian facilities in Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla, and Kupwara districts.

Hundreds of border residents were forced to abandon their homes, livestock and agricultural fields. These hapless civilians are yet to fully return to their villages as the security forces are still busy defusing unexploded mortar shells in the border villages.

On May 12, DGMOs of the two countries agreed to a ceasefire after which guns on both sides fell silent. The ceasefire is holding well, although India had made it clear that the understanding will last only as long as Pakistan does not allow terrorist activity against India from its soil.

–IANS

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