Overview
- Janna Begum, about 86, died in Aniyar village of Kishtwar after months of recorded appeals asking her son to return, with relatives saying her last wish remained unfulfilled.
- Riaz Ahmed is designated an A‑plus Hizbul Mujahideen commander wanted by security forces with a Rs 10 lakh bounty and is believed by officials to have joined the network of senior commander Mohammad Amin Butt, also known as Jahangir Saroori.
- In widely shared messages, Begum urged, "Come back, take care of me; if I die, shoulder my coffin," questioning the justification offered for militancy.
- Father Mohammad Ramzan publicly asked his son to lay down arms, calling service to parents the real duty and alleging Pakistan and its agents mislead youth in the name of jihad.
- A senior police officer said surrender would be in Ahmed’s interest and warned he could be eliminated, while the family noted an associate named Rizwan had already surrendered and is out on bail.