Jammu: The massive search anti-militancy operation in Basantgarh area in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district entered second day on Wednesday amid heavy rainfall in Jammu Division.

The search operation was launched by joint team of security forces on Tuesday in the area following intelligence inputs received by forces about the presence of militants in the area. During the search operation, the militants also fired upon the security forces, officials had said on Tuesday.

Sources said that a group of militants was spotted and engaged in a gunfight by security forces in a day-long anti-militancy operation in the Jammu region’s Udhampur district.

The police said specific input was “gleaned regarding movement” in the Khaned area of Udhampur’s Basantgarh.

“A SADO (search and destroy operation) was launched in the wee hours Tuesday by our parties. Contact has been established with a group of terrorists in Khaned area. The operations are underway,” the police said.

A joint search operation, comprising Army and the police, is underway in the Kabristan (Cemetery) area in Thanda Pani Khaned. During contact with hiding militants, “a few rounds have been fired from both the sides”, the police said.

The police could not immediately ascertain the number of militants trapped in the area. Preliminary reports suggested three to four militants could be trapped in the cordoned off area.

Jammu has witnessed heightened militancy this year, especially in June and July. Twelve security personnel have been killed in militancy-related incidents in these two months. Five militants were killed by security forces in the same period.

Agencies