Breaking News: Shahid Latif, Mastermind of 2016 Pathankot Attack, Fatally Shot in Pakistani Mosque

Shahid Latif, the key figure behind the fidayeen squad responsible for the 2016 attack on the Pathankot airbase, met his demise at the hands of unidentified assailants within a mosque in Sialkot, Pakistan. The incident raises suspicions of local, homegrown terrorists’ involvement in the assassination.

It is worth noting that Latif, along with 24 other terrorists, had been released by India in 2010 as part of the UPA government’s efforts to improve relations with Pakistan. A notable point of interest is that Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists who had hijacked Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in December 1999 had previously sought the release of Shahid Latif.

The 2016 attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot involved heavily armed Pakistani terrorists affiliated with the Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit. This incident sparked a 17-hour-long firefight between the security forces and the assailants, resulting in the tragic loss of six security personnel. Furthermore, three more soldiers succumbed to their injuries, while five attackers were also neutralized in the conflict.