A large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered during a massive search operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, the security forces said on Sunday.

Officials said the recovery was made during searches in the Balra area of Doda’s Bhaderwah tehsil.

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“During the joint search operation, 25 pieces of AK-series ammunition, one pistol, three pistol magazines, and six pieces of pistol ammunition were recovered. This is a significant seizure that reflects the presence of subversive elements in the area. Further investigation is being conducted to determine their source and destination,” the officials said.

“The operation was based on intelligence inputs with the security forces suspecting attempts to revive militancy in the area. The possession of such weapons poses a threat and attempts are being made to identify those responsible for storing these weapons,” the officials added.

Since the last six months, terrorists have shown their presence in the hilly districts of Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch, Ramban and Kathua of the Jammu division.

The thickly forested areas in these districts have been used as hiding places by the terrorists, mostly believed to be hardcore foreign mercenaries.

The modus operandi of these terrorists has been to carry out hit-and-run attacks and then withdraw quickly into the densely forested areas.

In order to defeat the designs of the terrorists, the Army and the security forces have also revised their strategy.

Instead of depending only on CASOs (Cordon & Search Operations), the Army and the security forces are now deployed deep inside these forested areas.

Over 4,000 elite commandos trained in jungle warfare are now deployed deep inside the forested areas of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar, Kathua and Ramban districts.

After the revised strategy by the Army and the security forces, there has been a remarkable decline in the sly terrorist attacks in these districts.

There are also reports of the hiding terrorists trying to sneak into the Valley after their capacity to carry out terror attacks in the Jammu division became difficult due to the massive deployment of the joint forces there.