Stones, Abuses, Then Dog Drew First Blood: How Jaish Terrorist Saifullah Was Killed In J&K

Saifullah -- the most wanted Jaish commander from Pakistan -- who had been evading security forces for months, was finally tracked down through drone surveillance. His movements were closely monitored, and troops of 11 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of Delta Force were positioned mere meters away from his hideout hours before the encounter.

"Our soldiers waited patiently, feeding real-time updates to their seniors," informed one of the Army officers monitoring Operation Trashi 1, launched in the Chhatroo area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar.

As dawn broke, security forces attempted to provoke a response by throwing stones at the roof of the abandoned mudhouse where Saifullah and two others were hiding, but there was no movement. Then they tried another trick of hurling abuses to provoke them. This attempt also failed to generate any response.

It was then that Army Dog Tyson was deployed. As Tyson -- an assault dog --  entered the house, Saifullah opened fire, injuring the brave canine. This exposed their position and security personnel swiftly encircled the house.

In the past, Saifullah had managed to break cordons and flee 20 times. 

"Locals often whispered that Saifullah used some magical powers to vanish from within the cordon. This time, we wanted to prove them wrong and show them the reality," said a junior security force officer involved in the operation.

On Sunday morning, as Saifullah and his associates attempted to flee, they were met with a hail of gunfire. A rocket launcher was deployed, and the dhok was blasted, bringing an end to Saifullah's chapter. His US-made M4 rifle was charred in the process.

Intelligence inputs suggest Saifullah had taken refuge in the dhok only hours before the encounter, aided by an Over Ground Worker (OGW) who provided food and other supplies. The mudhouse was equipped with a shovel, indicating plans to fortify it into a sophisticated bunker. Its strategic location near a road and in a wooded area made it an ideal hideout, raising no suspicion among locals.

Saifullah belonged to the Keri Sarafali village of Abbottabad district in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He joined the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad in the year 2018. He underwent training at Balakot, Abbottabad and Samanah Hills. After finishing his advanced arms training, he was brought to one of the launchpads and infiltrated into India in December 2023. For the last two and a half years, he and his associates had been operating in the Kishtwar area. 

In September last year, Saifullah and his men ambushed and killed two army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of 11 RR, sparking a burning desire for revenge among officers and soldiers of this Delta Force troops. "We vowed to avenge our fallen comrades, and finally, we've sent Saifullah and his men to their reckoning," said an army personnel, voice laced with satisfaction.