 "A Security forces jawan guards inside the Pathankot Air Force base after the end of the military operation against militants on Tuesday. PTI Photo")
One of India's most wanted terrorists, Shahid Latif, believed to be the mastermind behind the Pathankot attack, has been shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan's Sialkot, as reported by India Today.
Latif was sought by the National Investigative Agency (NIA) for a case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
He was a pivotal member of the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which claimed responsibility for the 2016 assault on the Air Force base in Pathankot.
On January 2, 2016, a heavily armed group attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station. The gun fight between the security forces and attackers ensued for around 17 hours, killing five attackers and six security personnel. Three more soldiers died after they were hospitalised due to their injuries.
A day later, another security forces officer was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion.
The operation in Pathankot continued on January 4, killing a fifth attacker. The Pathankot attack perpetrated by JeM led to a breakdown of India-Pakistan relations, which is largely unresolved till this date.
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In 1994, Latif was arrested from Jammu in a case related to narcotics and terrorism. He was deported back to Pakistan in 2010 after serving a 16-year-long jail term.
Shahid Latif was listed as a terrorist by the Indian government after the NIA said in its probe that Latif returned to the Jihadi factory in Pakistan after being released in 2010.
When Indian Airlines plane IC814 was hijacked by five armed men to Kandahar in Afghanistan in 1999, Shahid Latif was one of those whose release was sought by the terrorists. Masood Azhar, however, was one of the prisoners freed along with two others in exchange for the release of 189 passengers and crew members held hostage on the plane.
