Day after encounter forces hunt for three terrorists holed up in Udhampur village

Search operations continued on Tuesday in the Majalta area of Udhampur district, a day after one Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police was killed and two others injured in an encounter with terrorists. Police said joint teams of the J&K Police, Army and CRPF have cordoned off the area, where at least three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists are believed to be hiding. The operation was launched on Monday after specific intelligence inputs indicated the presence of heavily armed militants in Soan village of Majalta. According to officials, a team of the SOG reached the area to verify the information when the terrorists opened fire, killing SOG jawan Amjad Ali Khan, a resident of Poonch district. Two other SOG personnel were injured in the initial exchange of fire and are undergoing treatment. Inspector General of Police (Jammu) BS Tuti, speaking to the media in Udhampur on Tuesday, said a cordon-and-search operation was initiated following credible information about the presence of terrorists.

“A small party of the SOG went to the area and found the information to be correct. During the firefight, one SOG personnel, Amjad Ali Khan, was injured and later succumbed. The operation is continuing as the terrorists have fled deep into the forest. The terrain is mountainous and densely forested,” the IGP said.

The search operation was suspended on Monday evening due to darkness and the possibility of an ambush, and was resumed on Tuesday morning as security forces moved deeper into the forest area to track the militants.

Security arrangements have been tightened across the Jammu region in the aftermath of the encounter. Additional checkpoints have been established in Udhampur, Kathua and other sensitive areas. Officials said terrorists infiltrating from the International Border often enter through Kathua and then move through mountainous routes towards Udhampur, Doda and Kishtwar districts.

Senior Army commanders and top J&K Police officials have recently visited Udhampur, Kathua, Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri and Poonch to review ongoing anti-terror operations aimed at flushing out militants hiding in forest areas.

A senior police official said that while the killing of the SOG personnel was a setback, operations would continue. “With snowfall in higher reaches and the seasonal migration of nomads to the plains, terrorists are likely to face shortages of food and shelter, which could force them to move to lower hilly areas,” the official said.

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Courtesy: The Tribune -18-Dec-2025