Lashkar Commander Hashim Musa Killed in Budgam Encounter

A senior Lashkar-e-Taiba commander, Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Musa, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district. The operation was carried out jointly by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the CRPF. Officials said Musa was a former commando of Pakistan Army’s elite Special Services Group (SSG), where he served for around 23 years.

According to security officials, Musa retired from the Pakistan Army in 2023 and subsequently joined the Lashkar-e-Taiba network. He had also served in the security detail of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf between 2006 and 2008, officials said. Security agencies have linked him to several terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. Search and combing operations are continuing in the area following the encounter.