• Pahalgam attack suspect among senior LeT commanders eliminated in J&K: MHA
• Slain was killed in intelligence-led operation; war-like stores recovered
Srinagar|Sept, 30: Security forces on Wednesday killed Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Musa in an encounter in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, officials said, with the Union Home Ministry describing his elimination as a serious blow to the terror outfit’s network in Jammu and Kashmir.
Musa was killed during an overnight joint operation in the Korag-Yousmarg area after security forces acted on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists. The Army said troops observed suspicious movement during the operation and, after being challenged, came under fire, triggering an exchange of fire.
His body was recovered during a follow-up search in the Palmaidan area along with war-like stores, according to the Army’s Chinar Corps.
The Union Home Ministry said the operation was intelligence-led and involved coordinated efforts by security agencies that had been pursuing Musa for a considerable period. It said a specific multi-agency plan had been put in place after technical and human intelligence inputs indicated his movement and presence in the area.
The ministry said Musa’s killing represented a serious blow to the LeT ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir and that he was the last surviving member of a four-member LeT group that had been operating in the Union Territory since 2022.
According to the MHA, the group had been linked to several attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, including the Halan, Dera Ki Gali, Kandi, Shahsitar, Shiv Khori, Gagangir, Bootapathri and Baisaran-Pahalgam attacks.
Security agencies had also linked Musa to the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed. Reports said he was a key associate of the other members of the group, including Yasir, who was killed earlier this month in an operation in the Yousmarg area.
The group’s other members included senior LeT commander Sulaiman Shah and Junaid Ahmed Bhat, who were killed in earlier security operations. Officials said Musa and Yasir were associated with attacks in the Pir Panjal and Kashmir regions.
The Army’s operation against Musa came after security forces intensified searches in the forested areas of central Kashmir following intelligence inputs regarding his movement.
The terrain around Yousmarg and the Pir Panjal region has posed significant operational challenges for security forces, with dense forests providing concealment and movement routes.
According to the Army, the joint operation involved the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force. The search operation continued in the area following the encounter to ascertain whether any other terrorists were present.
The Home Ministry said Musa’s elimination marked the conclusion of the security forces’ pursuit of the four senior LeT commanders associated with the group. It described the group as being responsible for a series of attacks on security forces and civilians in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Musa had emerged as a significant target for security agencies following investigations into the wider LeT network operating in Jammu and Kashmir. His alleged links to the Pahalgam attack had also brought him under sustained focus of the security agencies.
The killing comes amid intensified counter-terror operations in central Kashmir, with security forces continuing intelligence-based searches against Pakistan-based terror networks and their local support structures.
The Army said the operation was based on specific intelligence and that troops maintained heightened vigilance in the area. Further searches were underway after the recovery of Musa’s body and the war-like stores.
The Home Ministry said the coordinated operation demonstrated the security forces’ continued efforts to dismantle terror networks operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
