A high alert has been sounded in the Jammu region after Yasir Bhat, a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, went missing from his residence in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district.

Officials say Bhat, who was out on bail, was involved in a grenade attack at the Jammu bus stand in March 2019, which resulted in the death of one civilian and injuries to 28 others.

Police have distributed posters of Bhat throughout the region urging the public to provide any information on his whereabouts.

Earlier on July 27, the Jammu and Kashmir Police had released sketches of three terrorists responsible for the recent terror attacks in the Doda district, including the ambush that left an army officer and three soldiers dead in the Urarbagi area of Dessa forest on July 16.

The police also announced a reward of ₹5 lakh for information leading to the capture of each terrorist. The trio, the police said, are moving into the upper reaches of Doda and Dessa.

The July 16 attack was the second major encounter in the Jammu region after five soldiers were killed in an ambush in Kathua’s Badnota village on July 8. Of late, Jammu and Kashmir has been rattled by a spike in terror attacks.

The Centre on July 30  listed out a slew of measures it is taking to contain terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir, including identifying the strategic supporters of terrorists, crackdown on terror financing, and enhancing the counter-insurgency grid. Twenty-eight people were killed in 11 terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir this year.

Union minister of state for home affairs, Nityanand Rai had said, “The government has a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism. The approach of the government is to dismantle the terror ecosystem. Security measures are being strengthened to sustain peace and stability in J&K”.

Detailing the strategies being adopted and action taken for containing acts of terror incidents in the Union territory, Rai had said there is “Effective, continuous and sustained actions against terrorists and support structures; dismantling of terror ecosystem using the whole of government approach and crackdown on terror finance such as seizure or attachment of properties belonging to terrorists and their associates under relevant section of law and banning of anti-national organisations”.