Jammu, Jan 23 : A dreaded Pakistani terrorist commander, Usman, belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit, was killed by the joint forces on Friday in Jammu and Kashmirâ??s Kathua district.

In a post on X, IGP (Jammu Zone), Bhim Sen Tuti said on Friday, â??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, Kathua districtâ??.

Armyâ??s Rising Star Corps also said on X, â??Acting on specific intelligence inputs, Joint Operation was launched by the Army and Police on Jan 23 in the general area Parhetar, Kathua. The area was cordoned and contact established. In a precise strike by the joint forces, 1 Foreign Terrorist has been eliminated. Search operations are continuingâ??.

The anti-terrorist operation on Friday was successfully carried out in the Billawar tehsil of Kathua district.

Official sources said the dreaded JeM commander had sneaked into the Indian side of the border in 2021-2022 and was active for the last two years.

â??He was earlier spotted in Doda, Udhampur and Kathua districts of Jammu division. The intelligence about the presence of the terrorist commander was gathered by Billawar police, and in a surgical 10-minute long operation, the joint forces, including the army, J& K police and the CRPF neutralised the terrorist,â?? official sources said.

Fierce encounters have taken place in the Billawar area and other areas of Kathua district in the past as well.

On January 13 this year, an encounter broke out in the Najote/Kahog area of Billawar after terrorists fired on a searching party, with reports suggesting they were part of a group that had recently infiltrated.

On January 16, Security forces busted a militant hideout in the Kamad Nallah forest area, finding supplies.

On January 7, an encounter began in the Kamad Nallah/Dhanu Parole area of Billawar following reports of a group of 2-3 terrorists.

In June 2025, multiple operations by the Billawar Police resulted in the arrest of several drug peddlers, including those involved in heroin/chitta trafficking and bootleggers in areas like Pallan, Dharamkot, and Katli Morh.

On June 12, two terrorists were killed by security forces in the Hiranagar area of Kathua.

On September 30, 2024, one terrorist was gunned down in an encounter that had broken out in the wider region of Kathua, with security forces conducting intense searches in dense vegetation.

/IANS