Choppers, Sniffer Dogs and Drones! Hunt for Terrorists Intensifies as Kathua Operation Hits Day Three

A sprawling search operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district entered its third day on Tuesday, as security forces zeroed in on a group of terrorists believed to have infiltrated from Pakistan.

Launched Sunday evening in the Hiranagar sector’s dense forests near Sanyal village, the mission—spearheaded by Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat—followed a fierce gunbattle sparked by intelligence of militants hiding in a nursery.

Early Tuesday, speculative gunfire echoed through the cordoned-off area after troops spotted suspicious movement. Backed by army helicopters, commandos with heavy weaponry, sniffer dogs, drones, and UAVs scoured the rugged terrain for the elusive group, suspected to number up to ten across two units.

The terrorists, thought to have slipped across the International Border on Saturday via ravines or a new tunnel, remain at large.

The operation kicked off when a Special Operations Group clashed with the militants, enduring over 30 minutes of intense gunfire. Reinforcements swiftly bolstered the manhunt, uncovering a cache on Monday: four M4 carbine magazines, two grenades, a bulletproof vest, sleeping bags, tracksuits, and food packets. Bomb disposal teams are yet to inspect mysterious polythene bags found among the haul.

Prabhat, joined by Inspector General Bhim Sen Tuti, has been hands-on, wielding an AK rifle at the frontline. Local villagers have rallied, setting up a community kitchen for troops and media. Eyewitness accounts fuel the tension—women gathering firewood spotted five bearded, commando-clad figures, while 48-year-old Anita Devi recounted a chilling encounter. “They held my husband at gunpoint,” she said. “I ran, shouting, and escaped.” A stray bullet grazed a seven-year-old girl’s arm amid the chaos, though she’s stable.

With no casualties reported from the initial firefight, the stakes remain high as the search tightens around the nursery, just five kilometers from Pakistan, testing security resolve in a volatile border zone.