The Punjab Police on Friday released a sketch of a suspected terrorist who was seen near the Kathua-Pathankot border area on Thursday. This heightened security concerns following reports earlier in the week of two armed men in the same region.
The suspect, yet to be identified, was spotted close to the border but evaded capture. In response, the police have formed multiple teams to track him down. An alert has been issued to local residents, urging caution and requesting any information that could assist in the investigation.
A senior police official confirmed, "The suspect was seen near the Pathankot-Kathua border on June 27th, and we believe he may have ties to a terrorist organization." To encourage information sharing, the police have provided three contact numbers for the public to use.
Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, a villager reported to the Pathankot police control room that two armed men had forced him to provide them with dinner at gunpoint. This triggered a search operation involving the police, Border Security Forces (BSF), and the army.
While the Jammu and Kashmir Police had previously released a sketch of a suspected terrorist seen in Kathua, it's unclear if the individual spotted on Thursday is the same person.
Pathankot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Suhail Qasim Mir reaffirmed the readiness of security forces: "We are in a state of readiness to deal with any situation as vigil is being maintained."
This incident coincides with the start of the Amarnath pilgrimage, prompting enhanced security measures. Police have held meetings with other security agencies to review and reinforce security for pilgrims.
In addition to local police, personnel from the Rapid Action Force and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police have been deployed to ensure the safety of pilgrims and volunteers.
