Kathua: Four Jammu and Kashmir police officers, including a sub-divisional police officer, sustained injuries during a military operation against militants in the Juthana area of Dinga Amb, Kathua district, on Thursday morning, Hindustan Times reported.
The report quoting the police said that Deputy SP Dheeraj Katoch and three other injured officers were immediately taken to Government Medical College and Hospital in Kathua, where they are reported to be in stable condition.
The operation started while armed forces were conducting search operations in the forests near Saniyal village, located about 37 km from Juthana.
The operation had been launched on Tuesday evening after a local resident, Darshana Devi, reported seeing two men dressed in army fatigues carrying backpacks. The men had asked for water before disappearing into the forest, the report claimed.
Armed forces cordoned off the area following the report and intensified search efforts. Officials believe the militants are part of the same group that managed to flee during an encounter in the Dolka forest near Saniyal village in Hiranagar sector on Sunday.
Defence spokesperson Lt Col Suneel Bartwal confirmed the ongoing operation in Juthana. Meanwhile, in response to intelligence reports suggesting fresh infiltration attempts across the international border, security measures along the Jammu-Pathankot national highway in the Samba-Kathua section have been tightened.
The search operation, involving the army, NSG, BSF, police, Special Operations Group, and CRPF, is being carried out with the support of helicopters, UAVs, drones, bulletproof vehicles, and sniffer dogs.
