A local woman informed the police on Tuesday that two men in Army uniform asked her for water while they were having food in the Ding Amb belt of the district, prompting the area to be cordoned off.
The search operation is concurrently under way in multiple areas from Sanyal to Ding Amb and beyond, covering several kilometres.
The operation involving the Army, NSG, BSF, police, Special Operation Group, and CRPF armed with technical and surveillance equipment, is supported by helicopter, UAVs, drones, bulletproof vehicles, and sniffer dogs.
Security agencies have questioned several persons in various areas and picked up three suspects for questioning, they said.
During the search operation on Tuesday, security forces recovered two grenades.
Locals of the areas have joined the operation by security forces and urged people in other areas to remain vigilant and inform any movement of suspected persons in their areas. Several villagers have requested people to come forward with information about the movement of terrorists in their areas.
The operation led by Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat was launched on Sunday evening in the Hiranagar sector following an encounter between security forces and terrorists hiding in a nursery.
The Special Operations Group of police initiated the operation after receiving intelligence about terrorists hiding inside a ‘dhok’ (local enclosure) in a nursery in Sanyal village, approximately five kilometers from the International Border with Pakistan, officials said.
The hidding terrorists opened fire on the police team, resulting in a prolonged gunfight lasting over half an hour.
Reinforcements were promptly dispatched as a manhunt began to apprehend the terrorists believed to have infiltrated on Saturday via either a ravine route or a newly constructed tunnel.
Although there have been no further encounters with the terrorists, search parties on Monday discovered four loaded magazines of M4 carbine, two grenades, a bulletproof jacket, sleeping bags, tracksuits and several packets of food.
