On 27th day of ongoing CTO, search carried out in Thanamandi area.

SHYAM SOOD
Rajouri, November 06 :–Ongoing Counter-Terrorist Operation (CTO) to flush out a group of terrorists from the forested areas in Rajouri & Poonch district has entered the 27th day on Saturday.
On the intervening night of November 5 & 6, Army, Para Military Forces, and J&K police laid cordon at several locations under Thanamandi tehsil in Rajouri district following inputs about the presence of 2-3 terrorists in a forest near Khablan village.
After a brief exchange of firing during night hours, additional forces were rushed to the area and Rajouri-Thanamandi-Poonch road was also closed for every type of movement.
The operation continued for the whole day, but without any result and at about 7 pm authorities opened the road.
After an exchange of heavy fire on October 14 in which four soldiers, including a JCO had attained martyrdom in the Nar Khas forest in the Bhata Dhurian general area in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district, no direct contact has been established with the terrorists.
Poonch district authorities on October 30 also opened the Jammu-Poonch highway between Bhimber Gal and Jaranwali Gali which remained closed for twenty days.
The operation was started on the intervening night of October 10 at DKG (Poonch) and Shahadra (Rajouri) and in the morning on October 11, JCO and 4 jawans attained martyrdom in the ongoing operation.
The terrorists managed to escape and another contact was established on October 14 in the forested Nar Khas area in which a JCO and three jawans attained martyrdom and since then CTO is going on to eliminate the terrorists reportedly Pakistani.
As no contact was established with the hiding terrorists, a Pakistani terrorist of LeT outfit, namely Zia Mustafa was taken from Jammu jail to the Nar Khas forest to identify the safe hideouts, but he was also killed in the exchange of fire in which two cops and a soldier were also injured.
One Over Ground Worker (OGW) namely Yasser Arafatly resident of Bhat Dhurian has formally been arrested and booked at the Gursai Police station for helping the group of terrorists.