KATHUA: Security forces on Sunday launched a search operation after getting information about movement of three suspected persons near a forest area in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, officials said.

A priest noticed three persons with backpacks moving towards the forest area of Rasana around 3.30 am and alerted the police, the officials said.

They said a special operations group of local police along with army and CRPF troops immediately cordoned off the area and launched a massive search operation to track down the suspected persons.

However, there was no trace of the suspected persons so far, the officials said, adding the search operation was continuing deep inside the forest area when last reports were received.