JeM Terrorist Adil Mustafa Killed in Udhampur Identified as Rawalakot Native, Reports Reveal
JeM Terrorist Adil Mustafa Killed in Udhampur Identified as Rawalakot Native, Reports Reveal
JeM terrorist Adil Mustafa, killed with Saddam in the September 17 Udhampur encounter, has been identified in subsequent reports as Adil Khan Sudhozai, a native of Rawalakot across the LoC.
Amit Kaul – For Digital Desk, Bengaluru: September 23, 2026 – A Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist killed during a major counter-terrorism operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district has been identified in subsequent reports as Adil Khan Sudhozai, a resident of Rawalakot across the Line of Control, adding a significant new detail to the investigation into the militants operating in Jammu’s forest belt.
The terrorist, earlier identified by Jammu and Kashmir Police as Mustafa, was among two JeM terrorists killed during an overnight encounter in the Brattal-Sohan and Khubban forest areas of Majalta on September 17. The other terrorist was identified as Saddam.
The operation, involving the Indian Army’s White Knight Corps, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force, was launched during the intervening night of September 16 and 17 after security forces received intelligence about terrorist presence in the Brattal area.
Despite difficult terrain, poor visibility and hostile weather conditions, the security forces established contact and killed the two terrorists. Jammu and Kashmir Police subsequently described both Saddam and Mustafa as Pakistani terrorists affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammed.
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JeM Terrorist Adil Mustafa Killed: Who Was Adil Alias Mustafa?
New details reported on September 23 have provided a more specific identity for Mustafa.
According to ABP News, local accounts and social-media posts emerging from Pakistan-administered Kashmir identified Mustafa as Adil Khan Sudhozai, a resident of Pothi Makwalan village in Rawalakot.
The report said neighbours, former classmates and other residents identified the slain terrorist as Sudhozai. It also reported that he lived near Sardar Umar Nazir, associated with the Awami Action Committee in the region.
These details go beyond the initial official identification released following the encounter. Security authorities had publicly identified the slain terrorists as Saddam and Mustafa and described them as Pakistani JeM terrorists; the fuller biographical identification of Mustafa as Adil Khan Sudhozai has emerged through subsequent local-source reporting.
Recruitment and Infiltration Claims Emerge
The subsequent reporting also offers details about Sudhozai’s alleged journey into the Jaish-e-Mohammed network.
According to ABP News, citing local sources, Sudhozai studied up to Class 10 at Umar Boys High School in the Rawalakot area before allegedly being recruited by senior JeM figures.
The report claims he subsequently received weapons training and crossed the Line of Control into Jammu and Kashmir in 2024.
If corroborated by the continuing investigation, the timeline would suggest that he had been operating inside Jammu and Kashmir for roughly two years before being killed in the Udhampur encounter.
These recruitment and infiltration details have not been independently established in the publicly available official statements on Operation Sohan and therefore remain claims attributed to the subsequent reporting.
Operation Sohan: What Security Forces Recovered
The September 17 encounter itself was a significant counter-terrorism operation.
Security forces recovered a substantial cache of weapons from the two slain terrorists. According to Jammu and Kashmir Police, the recoveries included an AK assault rifle with four magazines, an M4 carbine with three magazines, a Glock pistol with two magazines, and four grenades.
The presence of multiple firearms and grenades indicated that the terrorists were heavily armed when security forces located them in the forest area.
The operation was conducted in the Brattal Sohan and Khubban forests of Majalta, a mountainous and heavily vegetated area near the Kathua district border. Such terrain presents considerable operational challenges because dense vegetation, steep slopes,s and limited visibility can provide militants with concealment and escape routes.
A suspected over-ground worker was also detained during the security operation, according to reports.
JeM Terrorist Adil Mustafa Killed: Jammu’s Forest Belt Remains a Security Focus
The Udhampur encounter is also significant because of the broader security challenge facing the Jammu region.
Forested and mountainous areas stretching across parts of Kathua, Udhampur and adjoining districts have witnessed repeated counter-terrorism operations. Security forces have increasingly relied on intelligence-led searches, surveillance and coordinated deployments involving the Army, police and paramilitary forces to locate small militant groups operating in difficult terrain.
The September operation illustrates the challenges involved. Security personnel had to conduct the mission amid heavy rain, poor visibility and rugged forest conditions before establishing contact with the terrorists.
The Indian Express reported that the operation followed intelligence about terrorist movement in the Brattal Sohan and Khubban forests, while security forces continued combing and surveillance after the encounter.
JeM Terrorist Adil Mustafa Killed: Why Mustafa’s Identity Matters
The reported identification of Mustafa as a Rawalakot resident is potentially significant for investigators because establishing a militant’s origin can help reconstruct recruitment, training, infiltration, and logistical networks.
It can also help investigators determine when an individual crossed the LoC, which routes may have been used, who provided logistical support after infiltration, and whether the person was connected to a larger operational module.
However, there is an important distinction between what has been officially confirmed and what has emerged through subsequent reporting.
Jammu and Kashmir Police publicly described Saddam and Mustafa as Pakistani Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists after the encounter. The identification of Mustafa as Adil Khan Sudhozai from Pothi Makwalan, Rawalakot, along with details of his schooling, recruitment and alleged 2024 infiltration, comes from later reporting citing local sources and digital posts from across the LoC.
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Further official investigation could corroborate those details.
For security agencies, the larger task extends beyond identifying the two terrorists killed in Udhampur. Investigators will also seek to reconstruct the support system that allowed armed militants to move through and remain concealed in the forest belt.
That means tracing infiltration routes, communication channels, logistical assistance,e and possible local support networks — pieces of intelligence that could prove as important as the encounter itself.
Author Bio:
Amit Kaul is a seasoned journalist and digital content strategist with over a decade of experience covering business, technology, finance, and digital economy trends. Based in Bengaluru, India, he specializes in producing high-quality, data-driven news articles optimized for global audiences and digital platforms. Amit is passionate about financial inclusion, fintech innovations, and economic developments that shape India and the world. His work has been featured on multiple news portals and Google News platforms, providing readers with timely and reliable insights.
