2 terrorists barge into house in Udhampur, snatch food, mobile

Two suspected terrorists believed to be from group of Jaish operatives that was involved in an encounter with security forces in Saniyal village in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district on March 23, barged into a house in adjoining Udhampur district late on Wednesday, officials said.

They said that after barging into the house around 8 pm in Chore Panjwa-Khabbal area in Majalta block, the terrorists held the family hostage and snatched food and a mobile phone. The terrorists fled around 10 pm, the officials added.

They said the terrorists have switched of the said mobile phone to avoid being tracked.

Udhampur-Reasi range deputy inspector general (DIG) of police Mohammad Rayees Bhat said, “Last evening, two suspects were seen in Chore Panjwa-Khabbal area, which is located close to Kathua district.”

“After anti-terror operations were launched in Kathua, we initiated search operations in the area eight days ago. Additional forces have been deployed,” he added.

The DIG said the area where the terrorists surfaced has dense jungles and the forces suspect the operatives may have been hiding there.

The officer said it will be premature to draw the inference that the suspected terrorists belonged to the same group that first surfaced at Saniyal village on March 23.

However, intelligence officials say they are likely from the same group.

On March 27, two terrorists and four police personnel were killed in a gunfight at Sufain forest in Jakhole village of Kathua district. Three terrorists had escaped to Panjtirthi area of Ramkot in Billawar tehsil.

The bodies of three slain cops, Tariq Ahmed of Reasi, Jaswant Singh of Londi, Hiranagar, and Balwinder Singh Chib of Kana Chak, Kathua, were retrieved on March 28 afternoon, and the body of head constable Jagbir Choudhary, a resident of Khour in Akhnoor, was recovered on March 28 evening.

The People’s Anti-Fascist Front, a proxy outfit of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), has claimed involvement in the encounter.

Security Forces on March 31 detained six family members of a jailed overground worker (OGW), Mohammad Latief, for questioning.

Latief is in jail under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for aiding terrorists in Malhar during an attack on an army truck last year, in which six soldiers lost their lives.

Slain terrorist Abu Tala is also believed to have stayed at Latief’s house.