army-launches-search-operation-in-j-k-s-poonch

Security forces on Tuesday initiated a search operation at almost two dozen locations in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, officials said.

 

The search operation was jointly launched by the special operation group of the Jammu and Kashmir police, the Rashtriya Rifles and the Central Reserve Police Force in several areas, including Surankote and Mendhar, during the early morning hours following the intelligence inputs about the suspicious movement, the officials said.

The operation was going on in Sari, Ustan, Pathankhor, LoharMohalla, Chandimarh, Phagal, Hari top and Kaagwali in Surankote, and Limba, Ucchad and Kallar-Gursai in Mendhar, the officials said.

 

Security forces have intensified their counterinsurgency operations in the region, following several attacks on the security forces since 2024. This year, terrorists carried out one of the deadliest attacks in the region, killing 26 people, including 25 tourists, and injuring 16 others in Baisaran valley of Pahalgam on April 22.

Earlier, Army chief (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi visited and reviewed the security situation in Kashmir and assessed the preparedness for the upcoming annual Amarnath Yatra 2025.

 

His post on X read, “General Upendra Dwivedi, #COAS, reviewed the security grid in the Kashmir region and assessed preparedness for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Yatra 2025.

 

He was briefed on the current operational dynamics and the broader strategic landscape, including a demonstration on the integration of advanced technologies in operations, leading to smarter decisions and enhanced surveillance and response mechanisms,” the Army said in its post on X on June 22.

 

The Jammu division has been particularly infested with militancy since 2021, especially the upper reaches with dense forest covers and natural caves offering natural shelters to hiding militants. This adds more challenges to security forces who keep on tracking the anti-national threats by putting themselves in the firing line. 

For the past 6 months, security forces have launched a series of such cordon and search operations in the Jammu division; however, it appears as if they are tracking the “ghosts” in the dense forests. 

 

Some of the areas in these regions are so dense that not even sunlight can penetrate through the canopy of the trees, making the job of the security forces twice as difficult.