Doda, Feb 14 — Police in Doda district have pasted posters at several strategic locations seeking public information about active militants, including a Pakistani commander of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) identified as Saifullah, officials said on Saturday, as counter-militancy operations intensify across the Chenab belt.
The posters were put up at key checkpoints and public places such as Nagri, Dessa, Ganpat Bridge at the Doda entry point, and Thathri. Officials said similar notices are being displayed in other vulnerable areas to widen public outreach.
“The posters carry photographs and brief details of the suspects and urge people to share any credible information with the police,” an official said. “We are assuring complete confidentiality and protection to informants.”
Officials said the move is part of sustained efforts to dismantle militant networks operating in the Chenab Valley, including Doda and neighbouring Kishtwar districts, which have seen a spate of encounters in recent years following attempts by militants to revive activity in parts of Jammu, Pir Panchal and Chenab regions.
Large-scale search operations have been underway for over a month in the higher reaches of Doda district, Kishtwar, Kathua, Udhampur, Rajouri and Poonch, amid fresh intelligence inputs about the presence and movement of militants.
Earlier, four Pakistani militants affiliated with JeM and an Army paratrooper were killed in separate gunfights. Two militants were shot dead in the Ramnagar forest area of Udhampur, while another was killed in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar on February 4. A fourth militant was gunned down in the Parhetar area of Kathua on January 23. An Army paratrooper lost his life in an encounter in Chatroo on January 18.
Search operations in the Thathri and Gandoh areas of Doda have been further stepped up after locals reported suspicious movement of persons believed to be militants who may have escaped recent cordon-and-search operations in Kishtwar and moved towards adjoining forests.
Meanwhile, security forces on Saturday busted a hideout in the Chilli forest area of Gandoh, leading to the recovery of eatables and blankets.
“The recovery suggests recent movement in the area,” an official said, adding that combing operations have been intensified in the surrounding forests.