Body of Pakistani JeM terrorist recovered in J&K’s Doda; M4 rifle seized

Security forces on Saturday recovered the body of a Pakistani Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist who was killed during an operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, police said.

A night-enabled M4 rifle was also seized from the terrorist, whose remains were retrieved from the Seoj Dhar forest area connecting Bhaderwah in Doda with the districts of Udhampur and Kathua.

The operation was conducted jointly by the Special Operations Group of Doda Police, the Army’s Rashtriya Rifles and the Central Reserve Police Force.

“You can run but you can’t hide,” the Jammu and Kashmir Police said in a post on X announcing the recovery.

Security forces have stepped up area-domination patrols and search operations across Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban following intelligence inputs about terrorist movement in the region’s remote upper reaches. Earlier gunfights in high-altitude areas have also prompted joint teams to intensify combing operations in dense forests and mountainous terrain.

Counter-terror operations have been expanded across the Jammu division as foreign terrorists increasingly use forests, caves and mountain passes to evade detection. More than 4,000 troops, including Para Commandos and personnel trained in mountain warfare, have reportedly been deployed across the region’s hilly districts.

Among the major operations under way is Operation Sheruwali in Rajouri, a joint campaign by the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the CRPF in the forested areas of Gambhir Mughlan and Dorimal in the Manjakote sector. Security forces have targeted suspected cave hideouts believed to be sheltering armed groups.

Regular cordon-and-search operations have also been conducted in the forests of Surankote and Mendhar in Poonch following reports of suspicious movement near Pangai and villages along the frontier.

In Kathua and Samba, multi-layered searches have covered several kilometres of difficult border terrain, including the Ding Amb and Sanyal forest areas. Supported by helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and sniffer dogs, the operations have led to the discovery of hideouts containing grenades and equipment allegedly linked to JeM terrorists.

With IANS inputs