Officials said that the search operation that was suspended due to darkness and heavy rain in the Goli-Gadi forests of the Doda district on Tuesday was resumed with the first light on Wednesday.

Firing exchanges took place for over two hours between the terrorists and the security forces in that area on Tuesday after which the terrorists escaped into the thickly forested Goli-Gadi area.

The officials said that the search operation has been resumed and the security forces are now engaged in tracing the terrorists in the forested area.

Massive CASO (Cordon & Search Operation) joined by elite Para commandos of the Army was started on Tuesday to hunt down the terrorists.

Drone surveillance, sniffer dogs, sharpshooters and experts in mountain combing and warfare are part of the massive CASO going on in the area.

Tuesday's encounter in Doda came on the heels of the ambush of an Army patrolling party in Kathua. The terror attack, which was the fifth in Jammu in one month, resulted in the death of five soldiers.