Jammu and Kashmir police have come under criticism from their former chief Shesh Pal Vaid over the discovery of a purported large well-stocked militant hideout in the upper reaches of Kishtwar during an ongoing operation, regretting that something was amiss in the basic policing.

The standoff in the Sonar forest belt of Chatroo in Jammu's Kishtwar stretched into its third consecutive day on Tuesday, with security forces intensifying their searches after an elite special forces commando Havaldar Gajendra Singh was killed and seven other army men were injured in a militant action. Several residents have been rounded up for questioning in the area.

There was no trace of militants till Tuesday evening, but the discovery of an alleged hideout has come under sharp scrutiny. The presence of large quantities of food stock raised questions about how the militants managed to do so despite the large security presence in the area.

Former director-general of police Vaid praised security forces for displaying exemplary bravery during the gunfight. However, he raised questions about basic policing. "We need to go to the grassroots," he said in a video.