Jammu, Jul 17 (IANS): A brief exchange of gunfire took place on Wednesday between the security forces and the terrorists in the upper reaches of J&K’s Doda district.

Officials said that the firing took place at the same spot where it occurred on Tuesday -- the upper reaches of the Bhata Dessa area of the district -- where terrorists killed five security personnel, including four soldiers and a local policeman.

A massive search operation is going on in the densely forested area to trace the terrorists responsible for Tuesday’s attack.

The attack was widely condemned with the Army and the police asserting that those responsible for the attack would be eliminated.

Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Kathua, Ramban and Doda districts of the Jammu division have been in the news during the last two months for the wrong reasons.

Around one dozen terror attacks have taken place in the Jammu division during the last two months.

The development has been viewed very seriously by the security forces and the top brass of intelligence agencies.

Intelligence agencies say that a group of hardcore, heavily armed and deeply indoctrinated group of foreign terrorists, mostly Pakistanis, constitute the terrorist group presently operating in the densely forested areas of the Jammu division.

They carry out hit-and-run operations and then disappear into the forests close to the spot where these attacks occur.