Last Updated:February 22, 2026, 21:34 IST

Saifullah was a Pakistani national and a senior commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad. He had reportedly infiltrated into J&K nearly five years ago.

Just last week, Doda police had put up posters seeking information about him. (PTI photo)

Saifullah, a most-wanted commander of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Sunday.

Officials said he was among three militants neutralised during an operation in the Chatroo belt.

The gunfight took place in the Passerkut area under the ongoing “Trashi-I” operation, which began last month. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, security forces launched a search operation after reports of terrorist presence in the area.

The militants were hiding inside a mud house on the foothills and opened fire on the approaching teams, triggering a fierce exchange of gunfire. During the encounter, the mud house caught fire and was completely gutted. The bodies of the three terrorists were charred beyond recognition.

Who Was Saifullah?

Saifullah was a Pakistani national and a senior commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad. He had reportedly infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir nearly five years ago and had remained active in the region since then.

Security agencies believe he was behind several attacks in the Doda-Kishtwar area, including a major attack in July 2024 in which four soldiers were killed. He had a reputation for evading security forces and was said to have escaped at least 20 encounters over the past two years.

Just last week, Doda police had put up posters seeking information about him. Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Mehta had said Saifullah was believed to be hiding in the Chatroo belt and attempting to flee.

Operation In Chatroo Belt

The Chatroo forest belt has witnessed nearly half-a-dozen gunfights between terrorists and security forces since January 18, resulting in the killing of a soldier and a Pakistani terrorist. While the soldier lost his life on January 18, the terrorist was eliminated on February 4.

With the killing of the three terrorists on Sunday, a total of seven JeM ultras have been eliminated by security forces in separate encounters in the Jammu region this year. Earlier, two terrorists were killed in the Ramanagar forest in Udhampur on February 4 and one was neutralised in Parhetar village of Kathua on January 23.

(With inputs from agencies)

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