J-K: Kathua police bust three terrorist hideouts in joint operation

KATHUA (Jammu and Kashmir): Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua Police, in coordination with other security forces, busted three terrorist hideouts in the Billawar area of Kathua district, officials said on Friday.

According to the police, reliable intelligence was received on January 7 regarding the movement of anti-national elements in the forest area of Kamaad Nallah, Kalaban, Dhanu Parole in Billawar. Acting on the specific intelligence input, joint teams of security forces launched a massive search operation in the area to neutralise the terrorists.

During the operation, unknown terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on the security forces, following which an exchange of fire took place. The firing continued throughout the night, officials added.

#WATCH | Kathua, J&K: A search and combing operation is going on in the Billawar area of Kathua after a few shots were fired yesterday in the area.

(Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/GZNvqY9kcI

— ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2026

During the search operation, security forces detected a terrorist hideout from where several items were recovered, including two empty cartridges of an M4 rifle, a plastic box containing desi ghee, a polythene packet of almonds, hand gloves, a cap, a blanket, a tarpaulin sheet, a small pouch and one polythene bag.

In continuation of the ongoing search operation, on 16 January 2026, two more terrorist hideouts were busted by the joint teams in Kalikhad and Kalaban areas of Billawar.

Items recovered from the subsequent hideouts included cooking gas cylinder, cooking oil, charger wire, hand gloves, cooking and eating utensils, empty oil gallon, large plastic bags, torch, blankets, container, wrappers of eatables and other miscellaneous items.

Mohita Sharma, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kathua, has stated that the search operation is still underway and Kathua Police remains fully committed to maintaining peace and security in the district. (ANI)