A day after a fierce encounter on the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district, security forces on early Friday morning launched a massive search and combing operation in Jammu and Kashmir's border district Samba after getting information regarding the infiltration of four heavily armed terrorists from the International Border (IB).
An alert has been sounded in border areas of Samba and Kathua districts with the deployment of additional forces on both sides of the 'vulnerable' Jammu-Pathankot national highway.
"We are on a high alert. Checking has been intensified and with deployed of forces on all sensitive points," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Samba, Rajesh Sharma told the International Business Times. He said that the search operation is going after getting information about the presence of some terrorists.
Local youth spotted four terrorists near IB
Ravinder Kumar, a native of village Chhan Kana of Jatwal area of Samba district claimed to have spotted four heavily armed persons in Army uniform, from nearly100 meters, on late Thursday night.
"I spotted four persons in Army uniform near the railway bridge. They were carrying bags and guns on their shoulders. When I asked them to stop, they ignored me," Ravinder Kumar claimed.
"It was only after information of a local youth that a massive search operation has been launched," SSP said and added that search and combing operation was jointly launched by security forces and police.
To protect his maize crop from wild animals, Ravinder Kumar along with his father was guarding the field in the night when he spotted the four suspects. The father-son duo immediately informed Ghagwal police about those suspects.
Sensitive Jammu-Pathankot highway on alert
Within minutes after getting information from the villager, the Jammu-Pathankot highway was put on high alert because this highly vulnerable track was earlier attacked by terrorists several times.
Sources said that patrolling vans of police have been deployed highway to conduct random checking of vehicles and all entry points were plugged.
Out of a total length of 100 km, nearly 44-km stretch on Jammu-Pathankot highway runs almost parallel to the border with Pakistan in Kathua and Samba districts. Although the Jammu-Pathankot national highway is never affected by shelling from across the border, this track is always vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
"Although additional forces have been deployed, vehicular movement is going smoothly on the highway," the SSP said.
