In a brazen incident highlighting the persistent security challenges in the region, terrorists targeted a civilian's home in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district over the weekend. The assailants stormed the house, forced the villager to provide them with food, and subsequently escaped into a dense nearby forest, prompting an immediate and large-scale response from security forces.
Details of the Terrifying Incident
The event unfolded on Saturday evening in the Majalta area of Udhampur district. According to officials, a group of terrorists entered a house in Chore Motu village. They held the resident at gunpoint and compelled him to give them food. After their demand was met, the militants fled into the surrounding forest, leveraging the difficult terrain to make a quick getaway.
Massive Security Response in Forest Belt
In reaction to the alarming breach, security forces swiftly mobilized a major search and combing operation. On Sunday morning, the entire forest belt encompassing Chore Motu village and its adjoining forest hamlets was sealed off. A coordinated operation was launched from multiple directions to track down the absconding terrorists.
An official stated that the area was thoroughly cordoned off to prevent the terrorists from escaping the dragnet. This incident is not isolated in the recent history of the Majalta area, pointing to a concerning pattern of militant activity targeting both security personnel and civilians.
A Pattern of Militant Activity in Majalta
This latest act of intimidation follows two other significant incidents in the same region in recent months:
- On December 15, a fierce encounter took place at Soan village in the Majalta area. During this gunfight, an officer from the Special Operations Group (SOG) was tragically killed. The terrorists involved were reported to be from the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit.
- Earlier, on October 28, three suspected terrorists appeared at another villager's house, this time in the upper reaches of Basantgarh in Udhampur. In a similar modus operandi, they demanded food at gunpoint, terrorizing the local inhabitants.
These repeated incidents underscore the volatile security situation in parts of Udhampur district. The targeting of villagers for sustenance indicates the terrorists' attempts to secure logistics from local populations, often through coercion. The security forces' massive combing operation reflects their continued efforts to dismantle terrorist networks and restore stability in the region, protecting the lives and livelihoods of the residents.
