4 suspected terrorists spotted scaling Ramtund peak in J&K’s Doda; search operation underway

Jammu: A video purportedly showing four suspected terrorists scaling Ramtund Peak in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district has surfaced, triggering a major anti-terror operation, officials said on Tuesday.

The Ramtund area lies close to the Seoj Dhar belt of the Udhampur district, a remote and heavily forested mountainous region used by terrorists as a route for movement and, at times, as a hideout. The difficult terrain, dense forests and connectivity with adjoining mountain areas have made the belt strategically sensitive from a security perspective.

According to official sources, some locals captured the footage and alerted the security forces late Monday afternoon. They added that the latest sighting has triggered a major search operation, with security forces combing the surrounding forests, ridgelines and mountain tracks to track down the suspected group.

Reinforcements from the Army, police and CRPF have also been mobilised from Udhampur on Tuesday morning, and a massive operation was underway when last reports were received, the sources said.

They said preliminary inputs suggest that the group may comprise three foreign terrorists and one local. However, there has been no contact with the suspected terrorists so far.

The security operation is underway, with forces conducting searches across the mountainous terrain and adjoining areas, they said.

Security agencies have maintained heightened vigilance in the region due to its use in the past as a possible infiltration, transit and concealment route by terrorists.