2016 Pathankot attack mastermind and Jaish terrorist Shahid Latif gunned down in Pakistan
PTC Web Desk: Jaish terrorist Shahid Latif, the alleged mastermind behind the 2016 Pathankot attack in Punjab, was reportedly gunned down in Pakistan on Wednesday. Latif, a notorious figure on India's most-wanted list, hailed from Pakistan's Gujranwala city and was believed to be the handler of the four terrorists who infiltrated the Pathankot Air Force station in 2016.
Shahid Latif was known to operate as the launching commander for the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Reports suggested that while based in Pakistan, he played a central role in coordinating with four JeM terrorists and orchestrating their mission to infiltrate Pathankot, leading to the attack on the airbase.
CONFIRMED:
Unknown assailants shoot dead Pathankot terrorist Shahid Latif in a mosque on the outskirts of Sialkot
The shooters fled on a motorcycle. Police has cordoned off the mosque pic.twitter.com/YcVLVZZBRB — Journo Vinay (@journo_vinay) October 11, 2023
Earlier, Shahid Latif had been arrested in India in 1994 on terrorism-related charges. Subsequently, in 2010, he was deported to Pakistan, where he continued to be a significant figure in extremist activities.
Latif was also an accused in the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane in 1999.
Notably, the Pathankot Air Force Airbase witnessed a harrowing terrorist attack on January 2, 2016. This extended gun battle, spanning nearly four days, resulted in the tragic loss of seven security personnel and a civilian. Furthermore, the exchange culminated in the elimination of all four attackers.
The following day, on January 3, another security officer at the airbase lost his life in the aftermath of an IED explosion.
Subsequent investigations into the attack unveiled that the terrorists involved were affiliated with the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist group. In March, the case was transferred to the jurisdiction of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
- With inputs from agencies
