Suspected terrorists detected near Bhimber Gali
Troops open fire, reinforcements rushed to forest belt
Srinagar: The Army on Wednesday said it foiled an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district after detecting suspicious movement in the early hours of the day, triggering an exchange of fire and a search operation in the area.
Officials said the suspected infiltrators were noticed around 4:15 am in the Turkandi forward area along the LoC. Alert troops guarding the fence opened fire to prevent them from crossing over to this side.
In a post on X, the Jammu-based White Knight Corps said the attempt was detected following “credible intelligence inputs and persistent surveillance” in the general area of Bhimber Gali.
“Movement of terrorists was detected in the general area of Bhimber Gali along the LoC during the early hours of March 4. Alert troops engaged swiftly, foiling the infiltration attempt and denying any breach of the LoC,” it said, adding that the attempt was thwarted through coordinated ground action.
Senior Army officials, however, said it was not immediately clear whether any of the infiltrators were hit in the firing. “There is no confirmation yet on casualties. The area is being thoroughly searched,” he said.
Meanwhile reinforcements have been rushed to the sector and a massive search operation is underway to sanitise the forested belt and rule out the presence of any infiltrators who may have taken cover.
The Army said troops have been reoriented to ensure “relentless domination” of the area, supported by integrated ground and aerial surveillance.
“A robust operational posture and heightened alert remain in force across the sector,” the Army said, asserting that infiltration bids would continue to be countered along the LoC.
Rajouri sector has witnessed intermittent attempts by militants to infiltrate from across the border, particularly ahead of the summer months when snow begins to recede in higher reaches, opening traditional routes.
Security forces said domination patrols, surveillance grids and quick reaction teams remain on high alert across forward areas.
Earlier on February 19–20, troops had foiled another infiltration bid in the Sunderbani sector of Rajouri, leading to the recovery of arms and ammunition, officials said. Security agencies have since maintained heightened surveillance along vulnerable stretches of the LoC in the Jammu region.
Meanwhile, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Rising Star Corps, Lieutenant General Rajan Sharawat, reviewed the operational preparedness of troops in the Mamun sector on Wednesday.
The Mamun-based formation, headquartered in Pathankot, oversees operational areas of the border districts of Samba and Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to a Defence spokesperson, the Corps Commander assessed readiness levels and the prevailing security situation during his visit.
“The GOC commended the troops for their professionalism, high morale, and unwavering commitment to the nation,” the PRO, Defence, Jammu, said in a post on X.
