Lashkar commander Musa killed in J&K's Budgam; 4-member LeT group wiped out: Govt

Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Moosa, also known as Moosa Fauji, was killed in an intelligence-based joint operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district on Wednesday, the Union Home Ministry said. The operation was launched by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF in the Korag-Yousmarg area.The Army said troops, acting on specific intelligence inputs, noticed suspicious movement during a search operation and challenged the terrorists, who opened fire, triggering an exchange in which one terrorist was neutralised. During a search early Wednesday morning, security forces recovered Moosa's body along with war-like stores.According to the Home Ministry, security agencies had been tracking Moosa for a long time. Technical and human intelligence inputs on his movements and presence helped agencies prepare a coordinated operation against him. Moosa's killing comes as security forces target a Lashkar network that has been active in Jammu and Kashmir since 2022.FOUR-MEMBER LASHKAR GROUP ELIMINATEDThe Home Ministry said Moosa was part of a group of four senior Lashkar commanders who had been active in Jammu and Kashmir since 2022 and were linked to several major terror attacks, including Pahalgam. The other three commanders were Junaid Bhat, Sulaiman and Yasir. They were killed in separate operations:Junaid Bhat: Killed in an encounter in Dachigam on December 3, 2024.Sulaiman: Killed during Operation Mahadev on July 28, 2025.Yasir: Killed during Operation Asdhar on September 4, 2026.Musa alias Asif Fauji: Killed in the joint operation in Budgam on September 30, 2026.With Moosa's killing, the four-member group has been eliminated, according to the Home Ministry.MOOSA WAS LAST SURVIVING MEMBER According to sources in the security apparatus, Moosa was a retired and trained SSG commando of the Pakistan special forces. He had been sent to Jammu and Kashmir along with a group of highly trained Lashkar terrorists, the sources said.The group was specifically trained to operate in forested terrain, including forest survival and "shoot and scoot" attacks against security forces.Moosa was the last surviving member of that group, according to the sources.NETWORK LINKED TO MAJOR TERROR ATTACKSAccording to the Home Ministry, the four-member group was linked to several major terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.These included the Kandi attack in May 2023, the Halan attack in August 2023, the Dera Ki Gali (DKG) attack in December 2023, the Shahsitar attack in May 2024, the Shiv Khori attack in June 2024, the Gagangir and Bootapathri attacks in October 2024, and the Pahalgam attack in April 2025.Following these attacks, security agencies worked to identify the terrorists involved, their contacts, logistics networks and movement patterns.The Home Ministry said the action against Moosa was part of a wider intelligence and operational effort targeting the Lashkar network.OPERATION SHERUWALI UNDERWAY SINCE MAYThe operation to track Moosa was part of Operation Sheruwali, which began in May 2026, according to the Home Ministry.During the operation, security agencies monitored terrorist activities, hideouts and movements and analysed intelligence gathered from multiple sources.The inputs on Moosa's movements eventually led to the joint operation in the Korag-Yousmarg area. After the exchange of fire, security forces continued searches in the area and recovered his body from the general area of Palmaidan early Wednesday.JOINT COUNTER-TERROR EFFORTThe operation involved the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Indian Army and CRPF, reflecting the continued focus on coordinated counter-terror operations in the region.Security agencies have been combining technical surveillance, human intelligence and ground-level inputs to track terrorist movements and identify their locations.The Home Ministry said intelligence sharing and coordination between the security agencies have played a key role in operations against senior Lashkar commanders.WIDER TERROR CHALLENGE REMAINSThe killing of Moosa and the elimination of the four-member group does not mean the wider terrorism challenge in Jammu and Kashmir has ended.Security agencies continue to track local terrorist modules, infiltration routes, weapons and funding networks, logistics and recruitment mechanisms.The latest operation is part of a broader counter-terror campaign in which security forces have targeted senior commanders as well as their associates and support networks.- EndsWith inputs from Mir Fareed