The Jammu and Kashmir police detained two individuals who reportedly facilitated two militants in locating the house of a suspected terror associate in Sherpur village, situated within Kathua district’s Hiranagar tehsil.
According to sources cited by The Indian Express, these militants, believed to have infiltrated from Pakistan, were guided to the associate’s residence.
However, their plans went awry when their intended guide failed to appear. Consequently, without guidance, they inadvertently strayed and ended up in Saida village. This turn of events led to their detention by local authorities.
In the subsequent events at Saida village, the two militants encountered security forces in an operation spanning June 11 and 12, resulting in their fatalities. Tragically, a CRPF personnel also lost their life during this encounter.
Regarding the detained individuals from Bathal Chak village in Hiranagar, they claimed to have encountered the militants coincidentally and merely provided directions to the alleged terror associate’s house when asked.
However, sources indicate that police and security forces found their explanation dubious. Notably, they failed to report the encounter or provide information to authorities even after the militants were killed in the subsequent operation.
The villagers raised an alarm after seeing them, as a result of which security forces came up to the scene
This raised suspicions among law enforcement about their involvement or knowledge beyond what they disclosed initially.
Police sources have revealed that ongoing searches are underway for two additional individuals linked to the recent militant activities.
One of these individuals is reportedly associated with the house where the militants stayed overnight.
The other person being sought was supposed to guide the militants to the Udhampur mountains, from where they intended to proceed either to Doda district or the Kashmir Valley.
These efforts highlight law enforcement’s continued efforts to apprehend those potentially involved or associated with the militant activities in the region, aiming to prevent further threats and ensure public safety.
Sources indicate that the militants, upon crossing the International Border into the Hiranagar sector, were indeed guided to the house of a suspected terror associate located in Sherpur village by the two individuals who have been detained. They spent a night at this residence.
The plan was for them to be met the next morning by a guide who was supposed to lead them further into the mountains of Udhampur.
However, this guide did not show up as planned, which led to the militants losing their way and ultimately ending up in Saida village, where the encounter with security forces ensued.
Without the expected guide to accompany them into the forests of Udhampur district, the two militants ventured on their own and lost their way.
Subsequently, they reached Saida village, where they approached a local residence to request water.
This unexpected encounter led to their presence becoming known to locals and eventually resulted in the security forces being alerted, culminating in the encounter that followed.
Residents of Saida village raised an alarm upon encountering the militants who had arrived seeking water.
This alert prompted the swift arrival of security forces to the scene. Subsequently, an encounter ensued between the militants and the security forces, resulting in the death of the two militants.
This sequence of events underscores the crucial role played by local vigilance in promptly notifying authorities, which contributed to the containment and resolution of the security situation.
