Daijiworld Media Network - Jammu

Jammu, Aug 15: Joint security forces on Saturday busted a suspected terror hideout in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition, officials said.

The operation was carried out in the Draba area of the Surankote sector following specific intelligence inputs. A joint team comprising the 16 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Special Operations Group (SOG) of the J&K Police and 38 Battalion of the CRPF launched a search operation in the area.

During the operation, the forces recovered one gamla-type IED, one gool-type IED, four small IEDs, one Motorola wireless set and seven AK-47 rounds, officials said.

Search operations in the area are continuing.

The latest recovery comes amid a series of operations by joint forces in Poonch, where security personnel have busted multiple suspected militant hideouts in forested areas including Sawjian and Khanetar.

Earlier recoveries during such operations included hundreds of live machine-gun rounds, including Pika and general-purpose machine-gun ammunition, besides improvised explosive devices, hand grenades and AK-series rifles.

Troops conducting patrols near the Line of Control (LoC) in sectors including Balakote and Mendhar have also seized smuggled narcotics and foreign-origin pistols allegedly dropped across the border.

In neighbouring Rajouri district, security forces have simultaneously intensified anti-terror operations and security measures.

A major joint operation involving the Indian Army, J&K Police's SOG and the CRPF was launched in the Gambhir Mughlan and Dorimal forests of the Manjakote sector following an encounter in the dense forest terrain.

Security forces deployed drones, helicopters and sniffer dogs during the operation to locate suspected foreign terrorists believed to be hiding in natural caves.

During searches in the Chamrer forest area of Thanamandi, Rashtriya Rifles personnel busted another suspected hideout and recovered a ready-to-use IED, clothing and essential rations.

In the Islampur Bhanghai area of Thanamandi, security forces also intercepted a concealed logistics cache containing survival materials, blankets, gas stoves and food items allegedly intended to sustain terrorists in hiding.

Officials said the recoveries underline the continuing efforts of security forces to dismantle terror infrastructure and prevent attacks in the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri.