J&K Police Announce Rs 15 Lakh Reward for Lashkar Commander Latif Bhat

Jammu and Kashmir Police have announced a cash reward of ₹15 lakh for information leading to the arrest of suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Latif Bhat. Security agencies believe Bhat may have been involved in recent targeted killings in the Union Territory, prompting authorities to intensify their search across Kashmir and parts of Jammu province.

Security forces have displayed wanted posters bearing Bhat’s photograph across several districts of South Kashmir and areas of the Jammu region. Police have appealed to residents to provide information about his location or movements, assuring potential informers that their identities will remain strictly confidential. The public outreach forms part of a wider operation aimed at locating and arresting the wanted commander.

Bhat came to prominence after a five-day encounter in Shopian in which he was trapped alongside senior Lashkar commander Zakir Ganai. Security forces killed Ganai during the operation, but Bhat reportedly managed to escape. Investigating agencies suspect that he subsequently reactivated sleeper cells to conduct attacks against migrant workers and security personnel on instructions from handlers operating across the border.

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Police have named Bhat as the prime accused in the targeted killing of a police officer in Anantnag last month. The attack triggered a major security crackdown across Kashmir. His role is also being investigated in connection with the killing of two migrant workers in Kulgam last week, according to officials involved in the ongoing investigation.

The Kulgam victims, identified as Deepak and Bhupender, were both residents of Chhattisgarh. Deepak died at the scene after terrorists opened fire, while Bhupender was taken to a hospital but later succumbed to his injuries during treatment. The killings renewed concerns over attacks targeting people from outside Jammu and Kashmir who work in the region.

Preliminary findings suggest that a small-calibre firearm, most likely a pistol, was used in both recent attacks instead of an AK-47 rifle. Officials said the method resembled operations carried out by so-called hybrid terrorists—locally recruited overground workers who conduct attacks before blending back into civilian communities. Investigators have also said the modus operandi matches that associated with The Resistance Front, which authorities identify as an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

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