Kathua Clash: Terrorist Down, Forces Press On

Katra (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 1:

In Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, counter-terrorist operations have increased. DIG Shiv Kumar Sharma reports that several arrests have been made as authorities continue to search for terrorists.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police will continue working until all the terrorists are eliminated. Each one of our soldiers is committed to eliminating terrorists in a cautious manner to protect our area. The Army is accompanying us, and we all work as a team in these combing operations. We have an international border, and the people are very active, giving us inputs which we take action on," Shiv Kumar Sharma told in a press conference on Monday.

Further, DIG Sharma lamented the death of one soldier in the encounter in Kathua. He emphasized the great training the soldiers undergo and mentioned that their morale is still high.

"We are pained by the death of our soldier, but we give our soldiers the best training, and they are ready to fight on the ground. Our morale is high, and we are ready to meet any challenge. We will not retreat and are determined to defend the people. Our soldiers are ready, and we will react appropriately. With the international border in close proximity, we depend on the public for information, and we urge them to report anything unusual to the police," he added.

On Monday, security personnel intensified their operations in the Kathua-Samba sector, carrying out a search in the Samba sector near the international border to secure the area. The search is ongoing in Kathua to arrest terrorists after the encounter at Safiyan.

Security has been tightened in the entire region as the search operation continues to locate any possible threats.

A counter-terror operation named 'Safiyan' was carried out earlier in the Kathua region, leaving four Jammu and Kashmir police personnel dead. Two terrorists were killed during the operation. Arms and other arms ammunition were discovered at the site of the encounter by security personnel. 

The operation began on March 23 following reports of local residents regarding suspected Pakistan-based infiltrators seen in Sanyal.