Security Forces Hunt Lone Local Terrorist Latif in Kulgam as 60 Foreign Operatives Tracked

Security forces launched an intensive manhunt across South Kashmir on Thursday after identifying local operative Latif as the gunman behind an assault on Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Kulgam.

Latif struck alone. Opening sporadic fire from 150 metres away, he wounded CRPF personnel before melting into familiar terrain. Joint units of the Indian Army, paramilitary forces, and Jammu and Kashmir Police immediately sealed the escape corridors. But the shooter holds home turf advantage. Local networks provide him cover, complicating direct visual tracking as cordon operations comb the surrounding orchards and hamlets.

The Kishtwar Killings and High Command Deployment

Fifty miles away across the Pir Panjal, another hunt is raging. Two terrorists from across the Line of Control killed two policemen in Kishtwar, triggering an immediate combat sweep across rugged mountain ridgelines. These shooters did not breach the border recently. They have operated inside the Union Territory for months, shifting hideouts to evade radar.

Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat and Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma flew into Kishtwar to review ground deployments and coordinate multi-agency sweeps. The two commanders assessed cordon perimeters, real-time tactical intelligence, and troop placements before returning to headquarters.

Foreign operatives operating in the valley repeatedly tried to bridge communications and link up with Latif to establish operational leverage. They failed. Latif remains an isolated, lone-wolf figure—one of the few remaining local terrorists left active in the valley.

Pir Panjal Terrorist Grid and Depleted Command Rings

Security assessments indicate that active terrorist cadres in Jammu and Kashmir have dwindled to roughly 50 to 60 fighters. Between 25 and 30 operatives operate north of the Pir Panjal range, matched by an identical number scattered south of the ridges. Nearly all carry Pakistani origins or hail from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Sustained targeted operations gutted the top leadership over the past year. Frontline commanders Saifullah, Mahvi, and Yasser were eliminated in close-quarter counter-insurgency strikes. Today, only one structured foreign unit—known in intelligence dockets as Niku's Group—remains operational.

Launchpad Buildups and Evolving Field Tactics

Tactical surveillance reveals an evolving operational shift among field operatives. Terrorists continue to carry standard-issue AK-47 assault rifles but have sharply curtailed satellite phone transmissions to deny electronic signals intelligence to Indian intercept stations. This digital blackout forces ground units to rely heavily on human intelligence and physical perimeter chokepoints.

The Strategic Picture: While infiltration along the Line of Control dropped, Pakistani terror infrastructure remains fully active across the boundary. Approximately 25 to 30 launchpads remain manned along the LoC, each holding three to four operatives drawn primarily from Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Intelligence intercepts show roughly 100 fighters massed on the northern side of the boundary. In contrast, Hizbul Mujahideen networks have fallen largely dormant.

Security agencies project that handlers across the LoC will attempt to push two or three infiltration groups through rugged terrain within weeks, racing against falling temperatures before heavy snow chokes the high-altitude Himalayan passes.