From terror plot to hair clinic: The curious case of an LeT operative in Kashmir

Team TOI PlusTIMESOFINDIA.COM
May 19, 2026 | 16:04 IST
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The arrest of Mohammed Usman Jatt, alias ‘Chinese’, shows how deeply foreign terrorists attempt to integrate into civilian environments. Such blending, security agencies believe, makes detection significantly harder

A Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba operative sent into Jammu and Kashmir to carry out terror attacks allegedly ended up pursuing a very different set of priorities inside India — restoring his hairline, learning English and attempting to build a fake civilian identity to eventually escape abroad.

The interrogation of Mohammed Usman Jatt, alias “Chinese”, arrested by J&K Police last month, has provided investigators with an unusual window into the evolving ecosystem of terrorism, overground worker (OGW) networks and radicalisation pipelines operating in and around Kashmir. Officials say the case also highlights how deeply infiltrated operatives attempt to blend into civilian life after entering India.
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