By Tehelka Web Desk
An Army officer lost his life after accidentally falling into a gorge during an anti-militancy operation in the forested areas of Rajouri district, officials said.
The deceased officer, a lieutenant of the Assam Rifles, was part of a joint search operation being carried out in the Ghambir Mughal and Dorimal forests of Manjakote. He was immediately evacuated to a hospital after the incident but succumbed to his injuries, officials said.
The search operation, codenamed Operation Sheruwali, was launched on May 22 following intelligence inputs about the presence of militants in the area. The operation involves personnel from the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the CRPF, supported by drones, sniffer dogs, and helicopters.
Security forces had a brief exchange of fire with militants on May 23, a day after the operation began. However, no further contact has been reported since then.
Officials believe a group of around five militants, divided into two groups, is operating in the region. They are suspected to have moved towards the lower reaches of the Pir Panjal range after facing sustained pressure from security forces in the Sukhsar and Lalansar forest areas over the past several months.
According to officials, one militant group is believed to be hiding in the forests of Rajouri district, while another is suspected to be operating in the Surankote area of neighbouring Poonch district.
Meanwhile, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma recently chaired a joint meeting of security agencies at the BSF Jammu Frontier headquarters in Paloura to review the security situation in the Jammu region.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from various security and intelligence agencies. Discussions focused on strengthening operational preparedness, improving intelligence-sharing mechanisms, and enhancing inter-agency coordination to address emerging security challenges.
