Intelligence agencies have established the real identities of two of the three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists killed in the Trashi forest area of Chatroo in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district in the February 22 encounter. The militants, earlier identified by their aliases Saifullah, Farman and Huraira, have now been traced to Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), according to exclusive information accessed by ABP News. Officials say the findings reinforce evidence of cross-border recruitment and infiltration networks.
‘Saifullah Kashmiri’ Traced To Abbottabad
Investigators have identified the Jaish-e-Mohammad top commander operating under the codename “Saifullah Kashmiri” as Ateeq-ur-Rehman, a resident of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. He hailed from Keri Sarfali village in the Nathia Gali area of Abbottabad district in Pakistan.
Sources said Ateeq-ur-Rehman joined Jaish-e-Mohammad in 2018. He reportedly underwent “Daur-e-Tarbiyat” training at Madrasa Taleem-ul-Quran in Balakot before being stationed at Jaish’s Masjid Bab-ul-Islam on Kala Bagh–Bagan Road in Abbottabad. There, he is said to have been involved in indoctrinating children and was known as Hafiz Ateeq-ur-Rehman.
In 2021, Jaish leadership allegedly planned his infiltration into Jammu & Kashmir. Before crossing over, he received advanced training at a camp near the Samanah Hills in Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Intelligence inputs suggest he was part of a 47-member training batch at Hangu that year and was infiltrated into India in 2023 after completing the programme.
Among those reportedly trained alongside him were Swaruddin alias Adil Khan from Kohat, who was killed on February 4; Chaudhary Usman alias Nikku; Luqman Bashir alias Abu Mavia; and Chaudhary Mutabir Hussain alias Farman from Rawalakot in PoK.
‘Farman’ Identified As Rawalakot Resident
The second militant killed in the February 22 Kishtwar encounter has been identified as Chaudhary Mutabir Hussain, who operated under the alias Farman. He was a resident of Rawalakot in PoK’s Poonch district.
According to intelligence sources, Mutabir Hussain joined Jaish-e-Mohammad in 2019 and was recruited by Jaish commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri. His father, Chaudhary Sabir, is described as a long-time associate of Masood Ilyas and a former member of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. He is said to have fought in Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan war as part of Harkat ranks.
The third slain militant, who operated under the codename Huraira, is yet to be formally identified. Agencies are continuing efforts to confirm his real name and origin.
Narrative Of ‘Local Militancy’ Questioned
Officials say the confirmation that Ateeq-ur-Rehman hailed from Abbottabad and Mutabir Hussain from Rawalakot directly contradicts claims that Jaish’s top commander was a locally recruited youth familiar with Dogri.
Intelligence sources argue that exposing their Pakistani origins challenges narratives portraying the operation as purely indigenous militancy. They contend the investigation points to a structured cross-border terror infrastructure involving recruitment, ideological indoctrination, training and infiltration.
Agencies also maintain that the encounter has once again highlighted what they describe as Pakistan’s continued use of proxy groups against India, even as Islamabad projects itself internationally as a victim of terrorism.
Further details regarding the third operative are expected as the probe progresses.
