Security forces have launched a fresh search operation in the forested Basantgarh area of Udhampur district on Friday to track down three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists believed to be hiding after an encounter on Thursday left one of their associates dead.

Officials said the operation resumed early this morning, and news agency  reported that fresh reinforcements, drones, and sniffer dogs joined the effort.

The group of four Pakistan-based JeM terrorists was confronted on Thursday in the Bihali area of Basantgarh by a joint team of the Army and police. A gunfight followed, in which one terrorist—identified as Haider alias Maulvi from Pakistan—was killed.

Notably, Basantgarh is a known infiltration corridor for terrorists entering India from the International Border in Kathua.

The terrorists were found hiding near Karoor Nallah and were engaged by the Army's Para Commandos during the encounter. The search for the remaining three is ongoing.

Earlier, Hindustan Times quoted Jammu zone Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bhim Sen Tuti as saying that the operation was launched based on specific intelligence inputs. “The search operation is still on. The situation will become clear after the weather clears. It is a group of four terrorists. We had been monitoring these terrorists for the past year,” Tuti said.