Srinagar, Jan 25 (JKNS): A Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) commander was shot dead by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district after he took refuge inside a civilian house and used the family as human shields to evade arrest.
Officials identified the slain terrorist as Usman, a Pakistani national, who was involved in at least six major terror incidents resulting in the deaths of civilians and security personnel. After being cornered by security forces, Usman forcibly held the inmates of the house hostage in a desperate attempt to escape.
Confirming the details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kathua, Mohita Sharma, as per news agency JKNS said that despite the critical situation, police personnel acted with restraint and precision, successfully rescuing the civilians and neutralising the terrorist.
Usman had infiltrated into India in 2024 and was operating in the Bani–Bhillawar belt of Kathua district. He had established multiple hideouts in dense forests, natural caves and rugged mountainous terrain to avoid detection and plan attacks. Security forces had been carrying out sustained search operations in the region for several days.
On January 7, forces busted three of his hideouts in the hilly Bhillawar area, forcing the terrorist to abandon his forest shelters. Intelligence inputs later revealed that he began taking shelter in residential houses, a tactic he had earlier avoided.
On Friday afternoon, security agencies received specific intelligence about Usman’s presence in a house at Bhanetar village. As forces moved in to cordon the area, the terrorist opened fire and took a family hostage. A small team of security personnel stormed the house, overpowered him, snatched his weapon, safely evacuated the civilians and eliminated the terrorist, bringing his reign of terror to an end. (JKNS)