Jammu, Apr 1: Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat, along with Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bhim Sen Tuti, visited Kathua on Tuesday to assess the ongoing counter-terrorism operation in the district.

Accompanied by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Shiv Kumar Sharma, DGP Prabhat arrived at the Panjtirthi site, where security forces are conducting a combing operation to track down three terrorists who escaped following a brief encounter on Monday night, officials said.

The DGP inspected the riverine and mountainous terrain, expressing solidarity with personnel engaged in what has become one of the longest-running counter-terror operations in the region.

The operation, led by the Special Operations Group (SOG), Army, and CRPF, has now entered its tenth day. Last Thursday, two terrorists were killed in an encounter in the Saniyal area of Kathua, during which four police personnel lost their lives.

Officials said the three terrorists being hunted are believed to be part of a group that first confronted security forces in the Nursery area near the International Border on March 23. While all of them managed to escape then, security forces re-engaged them in a forested section of the Saniyal belt four days later, neutralizing two militants. However, the remaining terrorists fled, triggering an extensive manhunt.

With the fugitives constantly shifting their locations within the dense jungle, security forces have launched a multi-agency operation to neutralize them.

On Monday, the search operation was intensified with aerial surveillance and sniffer dogs deployed. A fresh encounter erupted later that night, prompting security forces to lay a night cordon around the forested area to prevent any further escape, sources said.

The operation remains ongoing as forces continue their efforts to eliminate the remaining threats.