'Op Trinetra' underway in Rajouri hills to flush out hiding terrorists

Security forces continued "Operation Trinetra" for the fourth consecutive day on Monday to track down terrorists hiding in the Kandi forested area in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, officials said.

A few persons were questioned about the suspected movements of terrorists.

However, security forces are yet to establish any fresh contact with the ultras, they said.

"There was no fresh contact with terrorists hiding in the forested Kandi area. A massive search operation to track down ultras is on," an official said.

Five Army personnel were killed while a major-rank officer was injured in an explosion triggered by the terrorists in the Kesari hill forest area of Rajouri on Friday morning.

A terrorist, who is said to be the part of a group that carried out an attack on civilians in Dhangri village of Rajouri early this year, was killed the next morning.

His associate was believed to have been injured in the exchange of fire with security forces but managed to slip away, the officials said.

The operation code named “Trinetra” was continuing when the last reports were received, they said.

The security forces carrying the operation were armed with surveillance equipment, sniffer dogs, drones and metal detectors, the officials said.

Sources said three security-cum-cordons have been activated in and around large chunks of the zeroed in area in the Kandi forest.

Rajouri and Poonch districts in Jammu region, which were declared terrorism-free more than a decade ago, have been rocked by a series of deadly attacks since October 2021, resulting in the killing of 35 people, including 26 soldiers.