In a significant breakthrough for counter-terrorism operations, security forces eliminated a top Pakistani terrorist affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) on Friday, 23 January 2026, during an encounter in Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir. Inspector General of Police for the Jammu range, Bhim Sen Tuti, confirmed the success of the joint operation in Billawar town.

The terrorist, identified as JeM commander Usman alias ‘Abu Maviya’, was gunned down by a small Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) team working alongside the Army and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). “A Pakistani Jaish terrorist has been neutralised by a small JKP team in a joint operation with the Army and CRPF in the general area of Billawar,” Tuti stated in a post on X.

A substantial cache of arms and ammunition, including an M4 automatic rifle, was recovered from the site in a remote village in the Parhetar area. The Army's Rising Star Corps detailed the action: “Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a 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, one foreign terrorist has been eliminated.” Search operations continue in the vicinity.

Usman had been one of JeM's most-wanted operatives in the Udhampur-Kathua belt for the past two years, having infiltrated from across the border. He evaded capture in several prior encounters, most recently on 7 and 13 January in Kahog and Najote forests respectively. Officials noted that a joint search party raided a house on Friday afternoon, prompting fire from the hiding terrorist.

Security forces responded swiftly, neutralising him in close combat. The encounter lasted mere minutes, marking a major victory and underscoring the effectiveness of intelligence-driven precision strikes. This elimination disrupts JeM's operational network in the region, where the group has historically targeted civilian and military assets.

Concurrently, security forces pressed on with an anti-terror operation in the Chatroo belt of Kishtwar district, hunting three JeM terrorists in Sonnar, Mandral-Singhpora, and adjoining forest areas. Now in its sixth day as of 23 January, the mission persists despite heavy snowfall, demonstrating the resolve of troops in harsh conditions.

Dubbed 'Operation Trashi-I' by the Army, the effort began on 18 January, triggering a gunfight that claimed one paratrooper's life and injured seven soldiers, mainly from splinter wounds in a grenade ambush. A four-day lull followed before another clash on Thursday, where the terrorists slipped away amid dense vegetation and rugged terrain.

On 19 January, forces busted a major terrorist hideout, yielding vital intelligence. This operation forms part of a broader December-launched campaign across Jammu's forest belts to eliminate nearly three dozen holed-up militants. Intensified efforts ahead of Republic Day celebrations reflect intelligence on desperate pushes by Pakistan-based handlers to infiltrate more terrorists.

The Kathua success and Kishtwar persistence highlight evolving tactics: cordon-and-search combined with real-time intelligence from human and technical sources. Recovery of advanced weaponry like the M4 rifle points to external supply lines sustaining these groups. Such operations not only degrade terrorist capabilities but also deter cross-border adventurism.

As Republic Day approaches on 26 January, heightened vigilance across Jammu and Kashmir aims to ensure secure festivities.

These developments align with India's 'Make in India' push for indigenous defence tech, including enhanced surveillance drones and border sensors bolstering such ops. Analysts view Usman's elimination as a psychological blow to JeM, potentially fracturing command structures.

Ongoing searches in both Kathua and Kishtwar underscore the protracted nature of counter-insurgency in forested, high-altitude zones. Success hinges on inter-agency synergy, as seen in JKP-Army-CRPF coordination. With infiltration attempts reportedly surging, these actions reinforce India's zero-tolerance stance on terrorism.

Agencies