SRINAGAR/ NEW DELHI: In a joint operation by Army, police and security forces, a top Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, identified as Mohammad Asif, alias Hashim Musa, was killed in an overnight encounter in the upper reaches of Yousmarg, around 60km from Srinagar.With his elimination, the entire group of four LeT commanders who had been operating in J&K since 2022 and were also behind the Pahalgam massacre has been wiped out. Home ministry called it a massive victory. Intelligence agencies had been tracking for two years the whereabouts of this former Pak Special Service Group (SSG) commando who had infiltrated into the Valley.
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Musa’s neutralisation blow to LeT network
Neutralisation of Musa is a serious blow to LeT ecosystem in J&K,” the ministry said in a statement. This group was responsible for a string of sensational and deadly attacks across the region. The Musa-led squad’s terror trail included the Kandi attack in Rajouri (May 2023) where five Army personnel were killed, the Halan attack (Aug 2023), and the Dera Ki Gali ambush (Dec 2023) where terrorists targeted two Army vehicles, killing several soldiers.The group also orchestrated the June 9, 2024 attack on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in Reasi, killing nine and wounding 40. They were linked to the Oct 2024 Gagangir attack in Ganderbal, which claimed the lives of seven, and the Bootapathri attack near Gulmarg that killed two soldiers and two civilians. The violent spree culminated in the devastating April 2025 Baisaran Valley attack in Pahalgam, where the terrorists massacred 26 tourists and a local horseman.
