Kathua: A massive search operation was launched in the Saladhi area of Hiranagar in Kathua district after locals reported suspicious movement near a forested region, police said on Sunday. According to officials, a civilian spotted three unidentified individuals, prompting security forces to begin a combing operation. A joint team comprising police and paramilitary personnel is currently conducting the search.
Security has been tightened in the region, with special focus on forested zones and the nearby highway to prevent any possible infiltration or untoward incident. Authorities have urged locals to remain alert and report any further suspicious activity.
In an effort to counter the atmosphere of fear in the Valley, Omar Abdullah last week took his council of ministers and the entire administrative machinery to a resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district for a meeting. This followed a similar gathering a day earlier at a resort in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
The outreach comes in the aftermath of a deadly terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, where holidaymakers were targeted in a brutal assault. According to survivors, the attackers separated the men, questioned some about their religion, and then shot them at close range. The massacre claimed 26 lives—most of them Hindu tourists from various parts of India. One of the victims was a Kashmiri Muslim who worked as a horse handler for visitors. Only one of the deceased was a foreign national, from Nepal. The attackers behind the carnage remain at large.
