NEW DELHI: Following a fierce gun battle that broke out on Sunday evening between security forces and terrorists in the Kathua district of Jammu & Kashmir, eyewitnesses shared their harrowing experiences from the scene. Ongoing search operations are in effect after reports indicated that three to five terrorists were sighted in the area.
Anita Devi, 48, recounted her narrow escape as heavily armed terrorists held her husband at gunpoint inside a nursery close to the international border. “The terrorists were threatening my husband and instructed me to approach them. However, my husband gestured for me to flee, and I ran. One of the terrorists attempted to stop me, but I shouted for help, which caught the attention of two others who were mowing grass nearby,” she told PTI.
District development councillor Karan Kumar reported that approximately “250 rounds of intense gunfire” rang out during the incident. “Fear has permeated the village due to the presence of terrorists, and we heard about 250 rounds of intense gunfire,” he stated.
The operation was initiated based on intelligence suggesting that terrorists were hiding in a dhok—local term for an enclosure—within the nursery located in Sanyal village, roughly five kilometers from the border with Pakistan. The gunfire erupted after a Special Operations Group (SOG) police team commenced a search operation based on the intelligence gathered.
As security forces advanced into the area, they came under heavy fire, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire. Reinforcements were promptly dispatched, and a manhunt was launched to pursue the infiltrators, who are believed to have entered the region on Saturday, potentially using a ravine route or a newly constructed tunnel.
