Key suspect in Pahalgam terror attack killed in J&K
What's the story
A key suspect in the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Moosa, was killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district. His body was recovered during a search operation in Palmaidan on Wednesday. The operation was launched by the Army and other security agencies under Operation KORAG after receiving specific intelligence inputs.
Operation details
Moosa was neutralized in the encounter
The joint search operation was launched after troops noticed suspicious movements.
When challenged, the terrorists opened fire, leading to a fierce gunfight in which Moosa was neutralized.
The Srinagar-based Chinar Corps confirmed his death and the recovery of war-like stores along with his body during the search operation.
Terrorist background
Moosa was a key suspect in the 2025 Pahalgam attack
Moosa was a key suspect in the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 tourists.
After the attack, the Jammu and Kashmir Police had announced a reward of ₹20 lakh for information leading to the arrest of several Pakistani nationals and LeT terrorists, including Moosa.
Security agency sources revealed that he was earlier a para-commando in Pakistan's Special Service Group.
Legal proceedings
NIA chargesheet named banned terrorist organizations LeT, TRF
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had previously chargesheeted seven accused in the Pahalgam terror attack case.
The chargesheet named banned terrorist organizations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its alias The Resistance Front (TRF).
It detailed Pakistan's conspiracy roles and charged the banned LeT and TRF as entities responsible for planning, facilitating, and executing the attack.
Pakistani handler and terrorist Sajid Jatt was also named as an accused in the 1,597-page chargesheet.