Most-wanted LeT terrorist Hashim Moosa was killed in an intelligence-led joint operation by the Army, J&K Police and CRPF in Budgam’s Yousmarg area.
Specific intelligence about the location of Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Mohammad Asif, alias Hashim Moosa and Asif Fauji, led security forces to launch a swift joint operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district, officials said.
Moosa, a Pakistani national wanted in connection with several attacks on security personnel, was killed during an encounter late on September 29. His body was recovered the following morning from the Palmaidan area near Yousmarg.
Operation Korag Launched After Intelligence Input
The Indian Army’s Chinar Corps, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force launched Operation Korag after receiving information about terrorist movement in the Korag-Yousmarg area.
During the search, troops noticed suspicious activity. The suspects allegedly opened fire after being challenged, triggering an exchange in which one terrorist was killed.
The Army later identified the deceased as Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Moosa, a Pakistan-based LeT operative. His body was recovered with what the Chinar Corps described as “war-like stores”.
According to a detailed security account, the intelligence was quickly forwarded to the Army’s 15 Chinar Corps, which tracked Moosa to the Gurweth Kalan area. He was reportedly killed at approximately 10.30 p.m.
Weapons and Communication Devices Recovered
Security personnel reportedly recovered an AK-47 rifle, two magazines, two LoRa or Ultra communication devices and a mobile phone from the encounter site.
Long-range radio equipment can allow terrorist groups operating in forests and mountainous areas to communicate without relying exclusively on conventional mobile networks.
Searches continued in the surrounding forest after the encounter to determine whether other terrorists were present.
Who Was Hashim Moosa?
Security agencies described Moosa as a high-value foreign terrorist who had remained under surveillance for more than 18 months.
He was believed to have entered Jammu and Kashmir in 2023. Intelligence reports also described him as a former member of Pakistan’s Special Service Group, although this background has not been independently established through publicly released official records.
Moosa was linked by intelligence agencies to several attacks, including:
- The Halan attack in Kulgam in August 2023, in which three Army personnel were killed;
- The Dehra Ki Gali ambush in December 2023, which killed four soldiers;
- The May 2024 attack on an Indian Air Force convoy in Poonch, in which an airman died;
- The October 2024 Botapathri attack near Gulmarg, which killed two soldiers and two civilian porters.
Security officials said Moosa had maintained regular contact with Pakistan-based LeT commander Sajid Jatt, who has been identified as an important figure in the network linked to the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.
Reports have differed over Moosa’s precise role in the Pahalgam conspiracy. Some described him as a suspect or plotter, while other intelligence-based accounts said he was not among the gunmen who directly carried out the attack. His reported communication with Jatt nevertheless made him a major target in the investigation into LeT’s wider network.
Pressure Increased After Associate’s Death
Moosa’s associate Yasir was killed in the upper reaches of Yousmarg earlier in September following a sustained intelligence and surveillance operation across the Pir Panjal forests.
Officials believed that operation forced Moosa to move deeper into the forested region, eventually allowing security agencies to trace his location.
The killing is being viewed as a significant counter-terrorism success because of Moosa’s reported operational experience, connections with senior LeT figures and alleged involvement in multiple attacks.
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