JAMMU: J&K Police in an overnight operation arrested an overground worker who allegedly facilitated the infiltration of more than a dozen terrorists across the international border into Indian territory via Kathua district, officials said Tuesday.Intelligence inputs led cops to Mohammad Latif alias Haji Latif, a resident of Kathua’s Safiyan area. “A key facilitator linked to Pakistan-based terrorists, Latif had been in touch with Pakistani handlers for years and played a crucial role in assisting infiltrators with logistical support,” an official source said.Police said Latif faces multiple cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Public Safety Act.Latif’s name first surfaced after the encounter in Saida-Sohal area in Kathua’s Hiranagar, in which two ultras and a CRPF jawan were killed on June 12-13, 2024. He was also accused of aiding terrorists in the Machedi-Malhar attack on an Army truck on July 8, 2024, in which five soldiers were killed.On March 31, 2025, police detained six members of Latif’s family — including his wife and three daughters — for questioning their alleged role in assisting terrorists in the Safiyan attack in Kathua’s Rajbagh area, in which four security personnel were killed and three terrorists were shot dead. Investigators believed that one of the slain ultras, Abu Tala, had stayed at Latif’s house.
