A Jaish e Mohammad commander was neutralised during an encounter in Kathua district on Friday afternoon after he took shelter inside a civilian house and used a family as a human shield. Security officials said the terrorist attempted to exploit the presence of civilians to escape but was successfully eliminated following a swift and controlled operation.
The terrorist was identified as Usman. He was a Pakistani national affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad. Senior Superintendent of Police Kathua Mohita Sharma said Usman was cornered by security forces and reacted by holding the occupants of the house hostage. Police personnel managed to rescue the civilians and neutralise the terrorist without any harm to the family.
Officials said Usman had entered India in 2024 and had been operating in the Bani Bhillawar belt of Kathua district. The region is known for dense forests steep terrain and remote mountain caves. He had established multiple hideouts in the area and was involved in at least six terror related incidents. These attacks resulted in casualties among civilians and security personnel.
Security agencies said Usman frequently used natural caves to evade surveillance and plan attacks. Despite continuous search operations over several days he managed to escape arrest. On January seven security forces destroyed three of his hideouts in the Bhillawar region. Intelligence inputs later revealed that the loss of these shelters forced him to abandon forest hideouts and move into residential areas which he had previously avoided.
On Friday afternoon security forces received specific intelligence about his presence in a house in Bhanetar village. A cordon and search operation was immediately launched. As personnel moved in Usman opened fire and attempted to use the family inside the house as cover.
A small team of security personnel entered the house with caution. They overpowered the terrorist disarmed him and safely evacuated the civilians. Usman was killed during the operation bringing an end to his activities in the region.
Police officials said the operation demonstrated restraint and professionalism. They added that the safety of civilians was prioritised throughout the encounter. Investigations are continuing to trace Usman’s local support network and to ensure no further threats remain in the area.