Pathankot attack mastermind Rashid Latif was shot dead in Pakistan’s Sialkot on Wednesday, latest media reports said. The 41-year-old, who was a member of dreaded terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, was said to be the brain behind the 2016 attack on the Indian Air Force’s airbase in Pathankot. Probe agencies have said that he was the key handler about all the strategy of the attack and infiltrated across the border to Pathankot to carry out the attack.
Shahid Latif, 41-year-old, was affiliated with the banned terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and played a pivotal role in orchestrating the Pathankot attack that occurred on January 2, 2016.
In November 1994, Latif was arrested in India based on terror charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He was then put to trial and eventually jailed. He was deported back to Pakistan after serving his sentence in India via Wagah in 2010.
According to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation, Latif returned to the extremist network in Pakistan following his release in 2010. The Indian government had designated him as a wanted terrorist.
The assault on the Pathankot IAF base in 2016 featured well-armed terrorists from Pakistan associated with the JeM organization. It led to a protracted 17-hour firefight between the security forces and the assailants.
Tragically, this clash resulted in the loss of six security personnel, and three more soldiers succumbed to their injuries. Additionally, five attackers were also killed during the operation.
Shahid Latif was among those whose release was sought by the individuals who hijacked the Indian Airlines flight IC814 in 1999 and diverted it to Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was also accused of being involved in the hijacking of the plane.
Conversely, Masood Azhar was one of the individuals released, along with two others, in exchange for the safe release of 189 passengers and crew members who were held hostage during the plane hijacking.