'Took Hostage, Used Civilians As Human Shield': How JEM Terrorist Was Shot Dead In J&K's Kathua By Security Forces

Kathua: A Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist who was neutralised by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district on Friday afternoon had used civilians as a human shield when he was cornered by the armed forces.

After being tracked by security forces, Usman, a JeM commander of Pakistani origin, took the inmates of the house where he had taken shelter hostage, attempting to exploit the situation and evade capture. However, police personnel outsmarted him, rescuing the hostages and neutralising the terrorist, according to the police.

Usman entered India in 2024 and operated in the Bani–Bhillawar belt, carving out hideouts in dense forests and steep mountains. He was involved in six terror incidents, leading to the deaths of both civilians and security personnel.

Usman frequently used natural caves as hideouts to evade detection and plan attacks. Security forces had been conducting relentless searches in the Bani and Bhillawar areas of Kathua district for days, but Usman kept escaping. However, on 7 January, the forces busted three of his hideouts in the mountainous Bhillawar region.

Reportedly, his hideouts were busted, which compelled him to take shelter in villagers’ homes, a move he had avoided in the past.

On Friday afternoon, security forces received input about Usman’s presence in a house in Bhanetar village, prompting a swift operation. "As security personnel approached, Usman opened fire and took a family hostage to evade capture," SSP Kathua was quoted as saying by NDTV.

A small group of personnel managed to enter the house, snatch his weapon, rescue the civilians and eliminate him.