Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir: Security forces on Wednesday killed Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Moosa in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district. Moosa was wanted in connection with the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and had been identified as a key suspect in the case.

The operation was launched in the Korag area of Yousmarg on Tuesday following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists. When security forces challenged suspicious movement, the terrorists opened fire, triggering an exchange of gunfire in which one terrorist was neutralised. During a subsequent search in the Palmaidan area, security forces recovered Moosa’s body along with war-like stores.

Who Was Hashim Moosa?

Moosa, also known as Asif Fauji and Suleiman, was a Pakistani national and a LeT operative who was believed to have infiltrated Jammu and Kashmir in 2023. Intelligence inputs identified him as a former commando of Pakistan’s Special Service Group (SSG). Reports have also stated that he had served in the security detail of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.

He had remained on the radar of Indian security agencies for more than a year and a half and was considered a high-value foreign terrorist operating in Jammu and Kashmir.

Moosa Linked to Pahalgam Terror Attack

Moosa was named among the key suspects in the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed. Jammu and Kashmir Police had announced a ₹20 lakh reward for information leading to his arrest.

According to security agencies, Moosa was also linked to several attacks on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, including the Halan attack in Kulgam in August 2023, the DKG ambush in December 2023, the IAF convoy attack in Poonch in May 2024 and the Botapathri attack near Gulmarg in October 2024.

Security Forces Recover Weapons and Devices

Following the encounter, security forces recovered war-like stores from the site. The operation involved the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the CRPF, with searches continuing in the area to check for any additional terrorist presence.