A cordon and search operation continued on the third consecutive day in the upper reaches of Kandi forests in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday.
The security forces had launched CASO in the PortelNad andRazdan upper reaches of Kandi forests, here on Thursday morning after inputsabout the presence of militants in the forest area.
“There was a brief exchange of gunfire between securityforces and militants on Thursday morning, from that very time no contact hasbeen established,” a police official said.
“The search is stillon in the woods to trace out the militants whom we came into contact in theearly phase of the operation,” a top police official of Kupwara said.
“More forces are being used to conduct the operation. Alarge number security forces were rushed to the forest and choppers werepressed into service,” he said.
He said that the operation is being conducted by a jointteam of army’s 47 RR, 98BN of Central Reserve Police Force and SpecialOperation Group of Jammu and Kashmir police.
Rajab, a local of Kandi area said, “For last three days wehave not been allowed to go to the jungle.”
The CASO was going on in the area when this report wasfiled.