A Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) commander was shot dead by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district on Friday afternoon after he took civilians hostage while attempting to evade arrest. The slain terrorist, identified as Usman, a Pakistani national, had taken shelter in a residential house in Bhanetar village after being cornered by security forces. According to police, Usman used the inmates of the house as human shields and opened fire when security personnel moved in to capture him.
Terrorist Neutralised After Hostage Rescue
“Police personnel outsmarted him, successfully rescued the hostages and neutralised the terrorist,” said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kathua, Mohita Sharma. Usman had infiltrated into India in 2024 and was actively operating in the Bani–Bhillawar belt of Kathua district. He was involved in at least six terror incidents, resulting in the deaths of civilians as well as security force personnel. Police said the terrorist frequently used natural caves in dense forests and mountainous terrain as hideouts to evade detection and plan attacks. Security forces had been conducting sustained search operations in the Bani and Bhillawar areas for several days, but Usman managed to escape multiple cordons.
Hideout Bust Leads To Standoff
On January 7, security forces busted three hideouts used by Usman in the mountainous Bhillawar region, forcing him to abandon forest shelters and take refuge in civilian homes, a tactic he had previously avoided. Acting on fresh intelligence inputs on Friday afternoon, security forces launched a swift operation at a house in Bhanetar village. As personnel closed in, Usman opened fire and took a family hostage in an attempt to escape. A small team of security personnel entered the house, overpowered the terrorist by snatching his weapon, safely evacuated the civilians, and neutralised him, bringing an end to his activities in the region.
