Who Was Hashim Musa? All 4 LeT Terrorists in Viral Pahalgam Attack Pic Killed in Separate Encounters

Indian security forces have neutralised senior Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) Commander Musa, alias Mohammad Asif or Asif Fauji, in an intelligence-led operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district. The operation, conducted at Gurwatkalan under the Khansahib police station jurisdiction, marks the complete elimination of all four high-profile Lashkar commanders seen together in a widely circulated photograph that emerged following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.

Security forces had been pursuing Musa for a long time, PIB India said in a press release. Recently, a specific all-stakeholder plan for his neutralisation was put in place after technical and human intelligence confirmed his movement and presence in the area. The successful counter-terror operation was executed as part of an ongoing, long-sustained operation, designated ‘Operation Sheruwali’, which commenced in May 2026 to dismantle cross-border operational networks across both sides of the Pir Panjal range. Jammu and Kashmir: Terrorist Killed As Army Foils Infiltration Bid on LoC in Poonch.

Decisive Blow to LeT Network in Jammu and Kashmir

The neutralisation of Musa by Indian security forces represents a serious blow to the LeT ecosystem in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. With Musa’s death, the entire group of four senior LeT commanders operating in J&K since 2022, who were responsible for several sensational attacks, now stands completely neutralised.

The group has been directly linked by security agencies to a series of coordinated strikes across the region, including the Halan attack (August 2023), DKG attack (December 2023), Kandi attack (May 2023), Shahsitar attack (May 2024), Shiv Khori attack (June 2024), Gagangir attack (October 2024), Bootapathri attack (October 2024), and the Baisaran attack (April 2025). Kishtwar Encounter: JeM Commander Among 2 Terrorists Killed in Gun Fight With Security Forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

All 4 Operatives in Viral April 2025 Photo Eliminated

The latest operation in Budgam closes the chapter on the four LeT operatives seen together in a photograph that went viral after the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of 25 tourists and a local resident. The viral image showed four heavily armed men dressed in tactical combat gear carrying assault rifles in a forested hideout.

Security forces eliminated the other three members of the quartet in separate sustained operations over the past 22 months:

• Junaid Ahmed Bhat: Neutralised on December 3, 2024, in an encounter in the Dachigam forest belt. Investigators later retrieved the viral group photograph from his mobile device.

• Suleman (alias Faisal Jatt / Suleman Shah): Neutralised on July 28, 2025, during 'Operation Mahadev'. Forensic examination identified him as one of the direct shooters in the Pahalgam strike.

• Yasir (alias Abu Talha): Neutralised on September 4, 2026, during 'Operation Asdhar' in the Budgam forests. Musa had narrowly escaped the same cordon before being tracked to Gurwatkalan.

Joint Coordination Drives Counter-Terror Success

Over the past few years, all security agencies, such as the Jammu & Kashmir Police, the Indian Army, and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), have been conducting counter-terrorism operations in close coordination, yielding positive results.

Joint search teams recovered assault rifles, ammunition, and other war-like stores from the encounter site in Budgam. Officials confirmed that sanitisation and search operations continue in surrounding forest sectors to prevent remaining sleeper cells from establishing new operational bases.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 30, 2026 04:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).