Terrorist Infiltration from Pakistan going on , security forces continues in Operation Safiyan II in Kathua

The series of infiltration from Pakistan continues in the international border adjoining India’s Jammu Kashmir. Even though administrative changes were made by dividing this state and converting it into two union territories, the terrorism that has been going on for many years has not been curbed,  in the way it was expected.

Terrorism related  incidents are increasing and decreasing but it could not be stopped. Despite that  , the army, paramilitary forces (especially CRPF) and police forces are paying a heavy price for it by laying their lives.

The latest incident is from Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir where four policemen lost their lives in a fierce encounter. However, two terrorists were also killed in it. In the same sequence, as part of the operation against the absconding terrorists, the security forces started a new cordon and search operation (CASO) in Panchtirthi of Juthana village on Monday afternoon. This operation gained momentum as soon as dawn broke today.

The Rising Star Corps of the Indian Army has shared information about this operation which is called Safiyan II on its social media X handle. The post conveys that  Operation  started with the purpose of search and destroy.

The post says that  the  operation was started on the night of March 31 after receiving information about suspicious activities.  Firing took place in the night itself. With the light on April 1, this operation was launched again and it is still going on. The operation involves the Indian Army along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.

Officials said helicopters, drones, bulletproof vehicles and sniffer dogs are assisting in the operation. Though the exact number of the holed up terrorists is unknown, security officials suspect they may be affiliated with Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). It is also believed that “the suspects belong to the same group that managed to escape from Saniyal village during the last encounter.”

This latest gunfight is the third major counter-terror operation in Kathua in the last nine days. The first encounter took place on March 23 when security forces had an initial encounter with suspected Jaish terrorists in Saniyal village in Hiranagar sector near the international border.

Though the terrorists managed to escape at that time, they left behind a cache of weapons, including magazines of US-made M4 carbines. The second encounter took place on March 29 in which heavy gunfights were witnessed. As a result, four police personnel lost their lives and many were injured. Two terrorists were also killed in that operation. Here too, security forces recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from the spot.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Police has detained six members of a family for allegedly helping terrorists involved in the encounter in Kathua last week.

It is said that the six detained are family members of an overground worker in the terrorist network, who is already in jail for helping in providing logistics to the terrorists who attacked the army convoy in Badnota village of Kathua last year. Five soldiers were killed in that incident.