Top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Hashim Musa killed in J&K encounter

Hashim Musa, a top commander of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group, was killed in an overnight encounter in the Khansahib area of central Kashmir's Budgam district. The Indian Army confirmed the operation on Wednesday, stating that Musa, also known as Asif Fauji, was eliminated in a joint operation based on intelligence inputs in an area under Khansahib police station.

Musa was the last surviving member of a four-member LeT command group that had operated in Jammu and Kashmir since 2022 and carried out multiple high-profile terror attacks. According to officials, the group comprising Musa, Junaid, Yasir, and Suleiman Shah was responsible for attacks including the Halan incident in Kulgam on August 4, 2023, which killed four Army personnel, along with operations in Dehra Ki Gali, Kandi, Shahsitar, Shiv Khori, Gagangir, Bootapathri, and Baisaran. Security forces had been pursuing Musa for some time, and a specific neutralisation plan was developed after receiving technical and human intelligence about his movements.

With Musa's death, all four senior LeT commanders responsible for these sensational attacks have been neutralised. The other three members—Junaid Bhat, Suleiman, and Yasir—were killed by security forces between December 2024 and September 2026. The 15 Corps statement confirmed that Musa's body was recovered along with war-like stores during the early morning search in the general area of Palmaidan.