On March 23, a brief encounter took place between security forces and terrorists at Sanyal village in Hiranagar, near the IB. The terrorists managed to escape and moved to the higher reaches of the district. They were later involved in another gunfight in the Ghati Juthana area on Thursday, during which four policemen were killed in action, and two Pakistani terrorists were neutralised.
Similar incidents have occurred in the past, particularly in Rajouri and Poonch, where OGWs provided shelter, food, and water to terrorists. Notably, in January 2023, two terrorists in Rajouri entered a villager’s home and used his mobile phone to download a communication application to contact their handler. After deleting the application, they demanded food and water from the house owner, who subsequently informed the police.
“Many OGWs, who had ceased assisting terrorists following the decline of armed insurgency in the Jammu region, have been reactivated by Pakistan-based terror organisations in recent years. While it is easier to monitor OGWs with known records held by the police and Army, the real challenge arises with terror associates who have no past records,” sources stated.
Security agencies remain vigilant in tracking and apprehending OGWs to prevent further terrorist activities in the region.
