Security forces launch joint searches in Doda and Poonch after terror suspect sightings

Following a video captured by residents showing four suspected militants near Ramtund Peak, security forces initiated a cordon-and-search operation in the upper reaches of Doda district on Tuesday. The suspected group is thought to consist of three Pakistani operatives and one local extremist, and reinforcements from the Army, CRPF and police were flown in from Udhampur. Authorities said they had not engaged the suspects by evening.

The Ramtund area lies close to the Seoj Dhar belt, a route historically used by militants because of its dense vegetation and caves. Four days earlier, police posted a Rs 15 lakh reward for information leading to the capture of self-styled Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Mohammad Lateef Bhat. In the neighboring Poonch district, a guard at an under-construction tunnel fired three to four rounds at suspicious movement, after which a joint SOG and CRPF team began a thorough search of the Bhatadurian, Sangiot and surrounding forest zones.