Basantgarh encounter: Search operation continues on 18th day

Jammu, May 15: Since April 27, when a group of terrorists killed a Village Defence Guard (VDG) member in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur district, both credible information and rumours have been keeping the security forces on tenterhooks.
The forces are not letting any information go unnoticed or wasted, and they are reaching out to areas where they receive any sort of information regarding the presence of terrorists.
According to reports, after the April 27 encounter in Basantgarh, special operation group members of Jammu & Kashmir Police and the Indian Army have conducted cordon and search operations in the upper reaches of Udhampur, Doda and Kathua districts. However, even after 18 days of continuous operations, nothing substantial has been found.
Now, even small pieces of information regarding the movement of suspected individuals are being taken seriously.
Intelligence sources informed that sometimes these pieces of information turn out to be wrong, but in a few instances, the details shared by people, especially women, have some substance. However, despite these efforts, no tangible results have been achieved.
“We receive information from the public on a daily basis, and to verify the authenticity of the information, police officers accompanied by the Army and other intelligence agencies reach out to the people. Subsequently, search operations are launched, but so far, nothing significant has been discovered,” a source said.
A few days ago, Udhampur Police had apprehended a suspect from Kathua district and had released sketches of terrorists allegedly involved in the killing of the VDG member. However, the terrorists have managed to evade capture thus far.
Meanwhile, an official said the search operation will continue until it is formally called off by Udhampur police. (KNO)