Indian Army and security forces killed a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, identified as Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Musa, in an encounter in Budgam in Central Kashmir last night.
Musa was a former Pakistan Army commando who had served with its elite Special Services Group (SSG) before joining the LeT after retirement.
According to information available with security agencies accessed by NDTV, Musa served in the Pakistan Army for nearly 23 years. He retired as a Havildar on March 31, 2023, at the age of 42. He belonged to the 4th Commando Yalghar Battalion of the SSG and carried Pakistan Army Service Number PA-3106947.
After leaving the army, he allegedly crossed into India and became a senior commander of the LeT’s terrorist network in Jammu and Kashmir.
Family and identity details
Musa lived in Mohalla Kohisar Colony in New Chakra, Rawalpindi. His family originally came from Dhok Maliyar village in Pakistan’s Attock district. He moved to Rawalpindi in 2015 with his wife, Abida Parveen, and their three daughters.
Security agencies have also traced documents linked to his Pakistani identity. Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority reportedly reissued his Computerised National Identity Card on September 12, 2020. The document was stated to be valid until 2030.
Military career
Musa’s service in the Pakistan Army included several sensitive assignments. He was reportedly part of the personal security detail of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf between 2006 and 2008.
His service record also lists counter-insurgency operations against the Balochistan Liberation Army in Balochistan in 2006, operations in Kurram Agency in 2011-12, and deployments in North and South Waziristan in 2014-15. He also took part in operations against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in Khyber Agency in 2015-16.
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He was also part of Pakistan’s contingent for the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Sudan in 2009. During his military career, he was reportedly awarded the Tamgha-e-Istiqlal and Tamgha-e-Azm.
Alleged role in Jammu and Kashmir
After retiring from the Pakistan Army in March 2023, Musa allegedly moved from military service to terrorist activity. He subsequently infiltrated Jammu and Kashmir and was appointed a senior, reportedly chief, commander of the LeT’s operations in the region.
Indian security agencies have linked him to several major attacks in the region. His alleged involvement includes the Dera Ki Gali terror attack of December 21, 2023, and the Gulmarg terror attack in October 2024.
He was also allegedly leading the ambush on an Indian Air Force convoy in Poonch on May 4, 2024, in which one IAF personnel was killed and five others were injured.
His reported military experience made him a significant figure in the terror network operating in Jammu and Kashmir. His knowledge of combat, counter-insurgency tactics and terrain was believed to have added operational capability to the group after his infiltration.
According to details gathered by Indian security agencies, the Budgam operation eliminated a terrorist who had moved from a long career in Pakistan’s elite military formation to a leadership role in the LeT’s cross-border terror network.
Security forces are continuing operations and searches in the area to determine whether other terrorists or additional war-like material are present nearby.
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