In a breakthrough, the J&K Police on Thursday arrested two Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) associates who facilitated the terrorist attack that claimed the lives of five Army soldiers and injured as many in the Kathua district of Jammu earlier this month.

Police said that two JeM associates have been arrested from the hilly area of the Kathua district.

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They have been identified as Layaqat Ali of tehsil Billawar and Mool Raj of tehsil Malhar in Kathua district.

“Sustained questioning of these two terror associates is likely to lead to arrest of more persons involved in giving strategic and logistic support to the terrorists,” sources said.
Five security personnel were killed when terrorists ambushed an Army vehicle in Badnota village, 150 away from Kathua town on 8 July.

Police said in a statement that over 100 individuals have been questioned in connection with this case, whereas preventive measures have been taken against more than 40 individuals to mitigate further risks and disrupt any potential support systems for terrorist activities.

Presence of 40 hardcore Pakistani terrorists has been reported in the hilly districts of the Jammu division, including Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kathua, Reasi and Udhampur.

The Army has mobilised over 4,000 soldiers, including the elite para commandos and those trained in mountain warfare to eradicate terrorism from the otherwise peaceful Jammu division.

Nine pilgrims were killed and 41 injured last month in the Reasi district when terrorists attacked a bus.

Meanwhile, a red alert has been sounded in military installations in the Jammu region following the spotting of seven suspicious persons in a border village of the neighbouring Pathankot in Punjab.
A massive search operation has been launched in the bordering areas of Kathua (Jammu) and Pathankot.