JAMMU: Security forces launched a joint cordon-and-search operation in the upper reaches of Basantgarh in J&K’s Udhampur district following information about the alleged movement of three terror suspects in the region.Officials said the joint team — comprising Army, J&K Police, and CRPF personnel — was combing the densely forested Chigla-Balotha area, acting on reports about the suspects having fled into the woods. Drones and sniffer dogs had been roped in to assist the troops on the ground, fortify the cordon, and plug possible escape routes.

Basantgarh falls on a traditional infiltration route used by Pakistani terrorists, who cross the international border in Kathua and move through the higher reaches towards Doda and Kishtwar districts in Jammu Division, before proceeding to Kashmir Valley. The Kathua-Udhampur-Doda-Kishtwar belt has witnessed multiple encounters and terror strikes in the past.Last month, a massive joint cordon-and-search operation was initiated in Udhampur’s Latti area after locals reported that a group of terror suspects had allegedly entered a house in Kirchi village, threatened its residents, and fled after snatching cash on Oct 17.