Top JeM terrorist killed in encounter in J&K

Jammu: Security forces on Friday killed a senior Pakistani militant associated with the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, police said.

Inspector General of Police (Jammu range) Bhim Sen Tuti said the terrorist was shot dead during a joint operation in the general area of Billawar.

“A Pakistani Jaish terrorist has been neutralised by a small JKP (J&K Police) team in a joint operation with the Army and CRPF in the general area of Billawar,” the Jammu police chief said in a post on X.

Officials identified the slain militant as JeM commander Usman alias “Abu Maviya”. They said a large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from him, including an M4 automatic rifle. The operation took place in a remote village in the Parhetar area.

The Army’s Rising Star Corps also confirmed the killing in a separate X post, saying: “Acting on specific intelligence inputs, Joint Operation was launched by Army and Police on 23 Jan in general area Parhetar. Area was cordoned and contact established. In a precise strike by the joint forces, 1 (one) foreign terrorist has been eliminated,” it said.

The Corps added that search operations were continuing at the time of the last reports.

Officials said Usman had been among the most wanted JeM militants operating in the Udhampur-Kathua belt for the last couple of years after infiltrating from across the border. They said he had previously evaded multiple encounters, including those on January 7 and January 13 in the Kahog and Najote forests.

According to officials, a joint search team raided a house on Friday afternoon but came under fire from a militant in hiding. Security personnel responded swiftly, killing him in close combat during an exchange that lasted only a few minutes.

Separately, security forces continued “Operation Trashi-I” for a sixth day in the Chatroo belt of Kishtwar district, targeting three JeM militants in Sonnar, Mandral-Singhpora and nearby forest areas despite snowfall. A gunfight on Sunday left one paratrooper dead and seven soldiers injured. Another brief encounter occurred on Thursday, but the militants escaped.