Jammu, 23 Jan

In a significant breakthrough in counter-terror operations, security forces on Friday eliminated a top Pakistani terrorist linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit in an encounter in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

Inspector General of Police, Jammu range, Bhim Sen Tuti, said the terrorist was gunned down during a joint operation in the general areaof 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 deceased terrorist as JeM commanderUsman alias "Abu Maviya". They said that a large quantity of arms and ammunition, including an M4 automatic rifle, were recovered from him during the operation in a remote village in the Parhetar area.

"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," Army's Rising Star Corps said in a separate post on X.

It said the search operations are continuing when the last reports were received.

The officials said Usman was one of the most wanted JeM terrorists active in the Udhampur-Kathua belt for the last couple of years after infiltrating into this side from across the border.

He had escaped several encounters in the past, the latest being on January 7 and 13 in Kahog and Najote forests, respectively, they said.

The officials said that the joint search party raided a house but came under fire from a hiding terrorist late this afternoon. The search parties reacted swiftly and shot him dead in close combat.

The encounter lasted for a few minutes only, the officials said, terming the killing of the dreaded terrorist a major breakthrough for the security forces.

Meanwhile, security forces continued their anti-terror operation to hunt down three JeM terrorists in Sonnar, Mandral-Singhpora and adjoining forest areas inthe Chatroo belt of Kistwar district for the sixth day on Friday.

The operation was continued despite snowfall in the area, the officials said.

Named by the Army as 'Operation Trashi-I', the operation was launched in the area on Sunday, leading to a gunfight that left one paratrooper dead and seven soldiers injured, primarily due to splinter injuries caused by a sudden grenade attack from the hiding terrorists.

After four days of lull, another encounter took place between the holed-up terrorists and security forces on Thursday, but the success eluded the forces as the terrorists managed their escape, taking advantage of thick vegetation and challenging topography.

A major terrorist hideout was busted during the operation on Monday.

The encounters followed a major counter-terrorist operation launched in the forest belts of the Jammu region in December last year to flush out nearly three dozen holed-up terrorists.

Operations have been further intensified in the run-up to Republic Day to ensure peaceful celebrations, amid intelligence inputs about desperate attempts by Pakistan-based handlers to push more terrorists, the officials said.