Army, police and paramilitary units kept combing forests in Rajouri and adjacent Poonch districts on the eighth day Saturday. The operation began last week after intelligence indicated militant activity and has since spread to additional zones.
Named Operation Sheruwali, the effort started in Rajouri’s Ghambir Mughalan forests on May 22 and later reached Surankote forests in Poonch. Forces employed sniffer dogs, drones and helicopters to examine suspected hideouts. Officials reported sightings of militants the previous Saturday but noted no further contact since then.
Troops last exchanged fire with militants on that Saturday, after which the group withdrew deeper into the woods, an official stated. The militants appear skilled in jungle tactics, frequently shifting positions to evade search teams.
Authorities assess that two to five militants have been active for two to three years in the zone between National Highway 144-A and the Rajouri-Thanamandi-Buffliaz road. Two separate groups are believed present, one in Rajouri forests and another in Surankote, having moved to lower Pir Panjal elevations to avoid earlier operations by the Romeo Force.
The thickly forested area linking the two districts has seen prior militant incidents, including attacks on April 20 and May 5, 2023, that killed ten security personnel. The continuous woodland provides cover and routes toward the Kashmir Valley, allowing militants to move between districts during operations.
Blood traces found after last week’s clash suggested one militant was wounded. Smoke rose from the forests on Thursday amid gunfire and grenade blasts, which an Army officer attributed to precautionary measures by search parties.
Earlier incidents include an April 20 ambush near Bhimber Gali that killed five soldiers and subsequent losses of five para-commandos in Kandi forest. These events followed a 2021 operation in Chamrer and Bhatta Durrian forests that claimed nine soldiers.
