Mufti Waqas, the Jash-e-Muhammad mastermind of the attack on Army camp at Sunjwan in Jammu on February 10 has been killed, police and Army said.
Army spokesperson N.N. Joshi said based on specific intelligence about the presence of a terrorist at Hatwar, Awantipur in Anantnag, a joint operation by Army's 50 RR and police was launched in which Waqas, who masterminded the attack on CRPF camp at Lethpora near Pampore on Srinagar-Jammu national highway on December 31, 2017, and Army camp at Sunjwan was killed.
''Waqas a category A++ militant and was one of the most wanted militant commanders,'' Joshi said.
The JeM commander had a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head.
Joshi said during the operation there were no civilian casualties or collateral damage.
He said the killing of Waqas has resulted in a major dent to the designs of JeM after the killing of operational commander Noor Mohammad Tantray alias Noor Trali in the same area on Dec 17.
J&K DGP Sheesh Paul Vaid in a tweet said Jaish commander Mufti Waqas has been killed in an encounter at Hatwara, Awantipore in Anantnag.
''He was the mastermind behind the attack on DPL Pulwama, CRPF camp at Lethpora and Army camp at Sunjwan,'' Vaid tweeted.
IGP Kashmir S.P. Pani said ''weapons and incriminating material used in the preparation of IEDs was also recovered from him.” Pani said Waqas was a foreign terrorist.
The Sunjwan attack had shaken the Army after four JeM militants stormed the camp on February 10 at 4.30 am and attacked the residential quarters of the soldiers. Five Army men and a civilian, father of one of the deceased soldier, were killed and nine others including women and children were injured when the four JeM fidayeen attacked the camp.
The Army first rescued the trapped soldiers and their families and then neutralised the four JeM fidayeen in a 36-hour operation.
Among the injured was the pregnant wife, Shahzada, of a soldier who was hit in the butt. She gave birth to a baby girl through caesarean.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharama visited Jammu after the operation was over and met the senior officers of the Army. She also met the injured and warned that Pakistan would pay for the attack.
''Pakistan would pay for this attack,'' she warned. ''I cannot give you a timeline when but I repeat Pakistan will pay for this at a time and place India deems fit.''
The killing of Waqas is a major setback for the JeM as he was considered as the operational brain behind the group's attacks.