LeT Commander Musa Killed in Intelligence-Led J&K Operation
Security forces say the operation eliminates the fourth senior LeT commander linked to several major attacks since 2022
- Senior LeT commander Musa aka Asif Fauji killed in Budgam.
- Operation followed technical and human intelligence inputs.
- Security forces link Musa’s group to several major attacks in J&K.
- All four senior commanders operating since 2022 have now been neutralized.
GG News Bureau
Srinagar, 30th Sept: Indian security forces have neutralized senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Musa, also known as Asif Fauji, in an intelligence-led joint operation at Gurwatkalan in Khansahib police station area of Budgam district, Jammu and Kashmir, the government said on Wednesday.
According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, security forces had been pursuing Musa for a prolonged period. A specific plan involving multiple security stakeholders was recently put in place following technical and human intelligence inputs about his movement and presence.
The operation was part of the ongoing ‘Operation Sheruwali’, a long-sustained counter-terrorism operation that began in May 2026.
The government described Musa’s neutralization as a significant setback to the Lashkar-e-Taiba ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir.
With Musa’s killing, the entire group of four senior LeT commanders operating in the Union Territory since 2022 has been neutralized, according to the government.
The group has been linked by security agencies to several major attacks, including the Halan attack in August 2023, Kandi attack in May 2023, DKG attack in December 2023, Shahsitar attack in May 2024, Shiv Khori attack in June 2024, Gagangir attack in October 2024, Bootapathri attack in October 2024 and Baisaran attack in April 2025.
The three other commanders were neutralized in separate encounters.
Junaid Bhat was killed on December 3, 2024, in Dachigam, while Suleman was neutralized on July 28, 2025, during Operation Mahadev. Yasir was neutralized on September 4, 2026, during Operation Asdhar.
The government said the latest encounter involving Musa was part of the broader, sustained security operation against militant networks in the region.
Over the past several years, the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Indian Army and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have conducted counter-terrorism operations in coordination, the government said, adding that the coordinated approach had yielded positive results.
