AI Generated Summary
- A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces in the upper reaches of Central Kashmir, the Army said on Wednesday, marking the elimination of the last surviving member of a militant group linked to several attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
- The group was suspected of involvement in the Dera Ki Gali ambush in Poonch, which left four soldiers dead, as well as an attack on an Indian Air Force convoy.
- The two were allegedly part of a four-member group linked to a string of attacks across Jammu and Kashmir.
A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces in the upper reaches of Central Kashmir, the Army said on Wednesday, marking the elimination of the last surviving member of a militant group linked to several attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
The operation began late Tuesday after security forces launched a joint search in the Korag area of Yousmarg following information about suspicious movement. According to the Army, troops challenged suspected terrorists during the operation, triggering an exchange of fire.
Searches resumed on Wednesday morning, when security personnel recovered the body of Mohammad Asif, also known as Hashim Moosa, along with weapons and other “war-like stores”. The Army identified him as a Pakistan-based LeT terrorist.
Officials said Moosa was associated with Yasir, another militant who was recently killed in the same forest belt. The two were allegedly part of a four-member group linked to a string of attacks across Jammu and Kashmir.
The group was suspected of involvement in the Dera Ki Gali ambush in Poonch, which left four soldiers dead, as well as an attack on an Indian Air Force convoy. Moosa and Yasir were also suspected of carrying out the 2024 Butapathri attack near Gulmarg, in which two soldiers and two civilian porters were killed.
The other members of the group were identified as Sulaiman Shah and Junaid Ahmed Bhat. Junaid was killed during an operation in Srinagar’s Harwan area in December 2024, while Shah was killed along with two other terrorists near Srinagar in July 2025.
Shah and Junaid had also been linked to the October 2024 Ganderbal tunnel attack.
Security sources said Moosa was believed to have been leading the group and that his death effectively brings the network to an end.
