Jammu, Dec 19 (IANS) Joint security forces on Friday started searches at many villages of J&K’s Rajouri district after reports of suspicious movement in these areas, officials said.

Officials said that the joint forces, including the J&K Police and its Special Operations Group (SOG), the army, and the CRPF has started searches at many villages of Rajouri after the reports were received.

“Searches were started around midnight after security forces received reports of suspicious movement in some villages located between the Thanamandi and Manjakote subdivisions of Rajouri. Army’s Rashtriya Rifles, J&K Police, and the SOG cordoned off these villages and started searches there. The operation continues in these villages and the adjacent Behroti Gali area also,” an official said.

“There are no reports of contact between the joint forces and the terrorists so far,” the official added.

On December 15, joint security forces had started a cordon and search operation in Udhampur district following reports of suspicious movement. A fierce encounter broke out between the joint forces and the terrorists in the village on December 16, in which one policeman was martyred, and a terrorist was reportedly injured.

Joint forces had intelligence inputs about the presence of 2 to 3 terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit in the area.

After a sustained gunfight, the terrorists reportedly escaped into a nearby forest area adjacent to the village. The operation was extended to the forest area, but no contact was established with the terrorists.

The encounter had originally broken out in Soan village in the Majalta area of Udhampur. The martyred policeman was identified as Amjad Ali Khan.

Joint forces have been carrying on aggressive anti-terrorist operations across J& targeting terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs), and sympathisers.

This is part of the revised strategy aimed at dismantling the complete support system of terrorism in J&K.

Drug smugglers and those involved in hawala money rackets are also on the scanner of the security forces, as it is believed that funds generated by these unlawful activities are finally used to sustain terrorism.

–IANS

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