Terror Hideout Unearthed in Poonch; Ammunition Recovered, Searches Continue in Jammu and Kathua

JAMMU, Aug 5: Security forces on Wednesday unearthed a terrorist hideout in a remote area of Poonch district and recovered a cache of ammunition during a joint search operation, officials said. The hideout, located inside a cave at Bhoriwala Dhok in Surankote tehsil, was discovered during a coordinated operation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Army’s Rashtriya Rifles. Officials said two magazines of an AK-series assault rifle, 117 rounds of ammunition and 17 rounds of 9-mm pistol ammunition were recovered from the hideout. The seized material has been taken into custody for further investigation. The recovery comes amid intensified counter-terror operations in the border district following reports of suspected militant movement in the forested areas of Surankote. On Tuesday, security forces launched a massive search operation across more than a dozen villages in the Dhara Sangla and Gujjar Naar areas after receiving intelligence inputs about the movement of two separate groups of suspected terrorists. Officials said no contact had been established with the suspects so far, and the search operation was continuing. Meanwhile, separate search operations were also carried out in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu district and the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district following reports of suspicious activity. In Akhnoor, Army and police personnel conducted a thorough search in the Sunail Panchayat area after a local resident reported suspicious movement. In Kathua’s Hiranagar sector, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the CRPF launched a joint area domination operation from Parshuram Temple to Jandi Nallah to maintain strict surveillance. Officials said no suspicious persons or incriminating material were found during the search operations in Jammu and Kathua. Security forces remain on high alert, and search operations are continuing in vulnerable areas to prevent any infiltration or militant activity.