Srinagar, Sep 30: A senior and wanted Lashkar-e-Taiba commander was killed in an intelligence-led joint operation in the Gurwatkalan area of Khansahib in Budgam district, security officials said on Wednesday, bringing an end to a sustained hunt for the wanted terrorist.
The slain terrorist has been identified as Muhammad Asif alias Hashim Moosa. According to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, security forces had been pursuing Musa for a considerable period and recently put in place a coordinated plan for his neutralisation after receiving technical and human intelligence about his movement and presence in the area. “The operation was carried out jointly by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF,” it said.
In a series of posts on X, based on specific intelligence input, a joint search operation was launched by the army, J&K police and the CRPF in the general area of Korag, Yousmarg. “Vigilant troops observed suspicious activity and upoun being challenged, terrorists opened fire, prompting a fierce exchange of gunfire during which one terrorist was killed,” the post read. In another post, the army said: “Further to the ongoing operation, during the search early morning in general area Palmaidan, body of Pakistan based LeT terrorist, identified as Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Moosa, was recovered along with war like stores.”
The operation comes weeks after another encounter in the same district in which Musa’s close associate Yasir alias Abu Talha was killed. As per the officials, Yasir was neutralised on September 4 during Operation Asdhar in the Budgam forests. The proximity of the two operations formed part of the continuing security forces’ effort to track the group operating in the forested areas of central Kashmir.
The MHA in its official statement said that Musa’s killing completes the neutralisation of a group of four senior Lashkar-e-Taiba commanders who had been operating in J&K in 2022 and had been linked by security agencies to several major attacks. The other three commanders identified by the government were Junaid Bhat, killed in Dachigam in December 2024; Suleman, killed during Operation Mahadev in July 2025; and Yasir, killed in Budgam earlier this month.
The government has linked the group to a series of attacks, including the Halan, DKG, Kandi, Shahsitar, Shiv Khori, Gagangir, Bootapathri and Baisaran attacks. The Ministry described Musa’s killing as a serious setback to the Lashkar-e-Taiba network in J&K.
The latest operation also underscores the continued focus of security agencies on the forest belts of central Kashmir, where difficult terrain and mobility have complicated counter-terror operations.
The Ministry said the operation formed part of an ongoing, long-sustained counter-terrorism effort, with different security agencies working in coordination across Jammu and Kashmir.
With Musa’s killing, officials said, the four-member senior LeT command group identified as having operated in the region since 2022 has been neutralised. The operation in Budgam comes against the backdrop of intensified searches and encounters in the district in recent weeks, including the September operation in which Yasir was killed, highlighting the continued security focus on the forested upper reaches of the district.
