Shahid Latif, the handler of Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who had attacked the Pathankot Air Force base in January 2016, has been killed in Pakistan, PTI reported quoting government officials. Several media reports said unknown assailants shot dead Latif, one of India's most wanted terrorists, inside a mosque on the outskirts of Sialkot.
Along with Latif, alias Bilal, two of his associates were also shot dead by three gunmen, PTI reported. "This is the biggest blow to JeM on Pakistan soil," PTI quoted an official as saying.
Seven security personnel and one civilian were killed after JeM terrorists stormed the air base on the intervening night of January 1-2.
Latif was arrested from Kashmir in 1994, a year after he had infiltrated the Valley. He was lodged in Jammu jail with Masood Azhar, founder of the JeM, till 2010.
Latif was released from Indian jail after his 11-year sentence ended in 2010 and he was deported to Pakistan, IANS reported. He was arrested in 1994 on charges of terrorism. He was also accused of the hijacking of an Indian Airlines aircraft in 1999.
Heavily armed terrorists attacked the Indian Air Force base in Punjab's Pathankot on January 2, 2016. A gun battle raged on for four days, killing seven security personnel and a civilian. All four terrorists were also killed in the gunfight.
An investigation revealed that the attack was carried out by the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit. Later, the probe into the terror strike was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Last year, another Jaish-e-Mohammed handler Ali Kashif Jan was designated as a "terrorist" under the UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act) in connection with the Pathankot air base attack. The Ministry of Home Affairs had said Jan was an accused in various cases registered and being probed by the NIA. The MHA said the Jaish terrorists looked into the recruitment of cadres and coordinated plans to attack targets in India.
The development comes on the back of attacks on several terrorists in Pakistan. Last month, Mufti Qaisar Farooq and Ziaur-Rehman of Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed in Karachi. Earlier this year, Hizbul commander Bashir Ahmad Peer was killed in Rawalpindi.
