LeT’s Most-Wanted Terrorist Killed in Encounter with Security Forces in J&K’s Budgam

A Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander was reportedly killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district late Tuesday, according to initial reports.

The slain terrorist was identified by officials as Sulaiman Shah, alias ‘Musa’. The Indian Army’s Chinar Corps did not initially disclose his identity, saying one terrorist was killed during a joint operation in the Dudhpathri forest area.

The operation was launched by the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the Korag area of Yousmarg following specific intelligence inputs.

According to the Chinar Corps, troops detected suspicious movement during the search operation and challenged the suspected terrorists. The militants responded by opening fire, triggering an exchange of gunfire in which one terrorist was killed.

The Army said the operation was based on intelligence regarding the presence of terrorists in the area.

Musa Had Escaped Earlier Encounter

The operation came weeks after security forces killed Musa’s associate Yasir during an encounter in the Yousmarg hills on September 5. Officials said Musa managed to escape from that gunfight and had remained on the security forces’ radar since then.

Sources cited by CNN-News18 identified the slain terrorist as Mohammad Asif, also known by the aliases Hashim Musa and ‘Fauji’. According to the report, his appearance and military-style training had led to the nickname ‘Fauji’.

Musa’s name came under scrutiny following the April 2025 Pahalgam attack, after security agencies reportedly linked him to the incident. Sources said he was a resident of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and that his father had served in the Pakistani Army.

Security officials alleged that Musa was involved in several attacks targeting security forces in the Poonch-Rajouri region and Kashmir and was active on both sides of the Pir Panjal range.

His reported killing is being described by security officials as a significant blow to LeT’s operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Further details about the encounter and the identity of the slain terrorist are expected as security forces continue operations in the area.