Terror alert: Search operations in Punjab after villagers spot suspicious movement

The operation, which started at 11:00 am, was underway at the time this report was filed. Pathankot, which borders the state of Jammu and Kashmir, shares the Intermational Border with Pakistan. The terrorists behind the Gurdaspur terror attack allegedly crossed into India from a place along the Pathankot-Gurdaspur International Border with Pakistan.

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Army sources in Western Command confirmed that villagers had seen people in combat uniforms, carrying backpacks near Narainpur Hada village on the Pathankot-Dalhousie road.

The spot, where these suspicious movements were noticed, was around 12 km from the Mamun military station and 20 km from the Pathankot city, informed a senior military officer.

Following the inputs, troops from Army’s 29 Infantry Division and personnel from Punjab Police immediately launched a search operation.

Sources in Punjab Police said inputs from the Ladeti village in Dhar Kalan also claimed that two suspicious persons were moving in the area since morning.

DIG Border Range, Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, and IG Border Range, Lok Nath Angra, rushed to the spot to coordinate the operation.

Villagers said they were extra cautious after the Dinanagar terror attack and lost no time in informing security forces after they found something amiss.

“We cannot take any chance in the current scenario when anything can happen,” a villager said, adding that after the search by security forces they were feeling reassured.

When contacted, DIG Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh — who was still in Ladeti village — said while no suspect was apprehended, the search was still on.

Army sources said that there was a similar input from the same area last week too, but the suspicious elements had later turned out to be men from an Army unit. However, they were quick to add that every input was being carefully vetted.

Immediately after the Dinanagar incident, the Army and the police had conducted a search operation in Nawanshahar’s Banga after similar reports.