All four LeT commanders active in J&K since 2022 now dead, says Home Ministry

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday said that the killing of a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander in Budgam has completed the elimination of a four-member cohort of the outfit’s top commanders who had been operating in Jammu and Kashmir since 2022. The development, the Ministry said, is a major blow to the LeT ecosystem in the Union Territory and underscores the results of sustained, intelligence-led counter-terrorism operations by multiple security agencies.

Intelligence-led operation in Budgam

According to the MHA, the LeT commander, identified by the Army as Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Moosa, was killed during a joint operation at Gurwatkalan in the Khansahib area of Budgam district. Security agencies had pursued him for a considerable period, the Ministry said, adding that a specific, multi-agency plan for his “neutralisation” was recently put in place after the receipt of technical and human intelligence inputs regarding his movements and presence.

The Army said a joint search was launched by the Indian Army, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force in the general area of Korag, Yousmarg, in Budgam “based on specific intelligence input” on the night of September 29. The operation began on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, and culminated in Moosa’s killing in the Gurwatkalan locality, the MHA said.

‘A major blow’ to LeT network

The MHA described Moosa’s killing as a major setback for the LeT’s operational network in the region. With his death, the Ministry said, the entire group of four senior LeT commanders active in the Union Territory since 2022 has been dismantled.

The Ministry emphasised that the operation against Moosa formed part of a sustained counter-terrorism campaign and reflected the close coordination among the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Indian Army and the Central Armed Police Forces. “Over the past few years, all security agencies have been conducting counter-terrorism operations in close coordination, yielding positive results,” the MHA said.

Other commanders eliminated since 2024

Outlining the neutralisation of the remaining three members of the group, the MHA said that:

• Junaid Bhat was killed in an encounter at Dachigam on December 3, 2024.

• Suleman, who was involved in the Baisaran meadow attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, was killed during Operation Mahadev on July 28, 2025, along with two other Pakistani terrorists.

• Yasir was killed in Operation Asdhar on September 4, 2026.

Attacks attributed to the group

The MHA said the four-man leadership cadre was responsible for planning or executing several major attacks in Jammu and Kashmir since 2023. These include the Halan attack in August 2023; the Kandi attack in May 2023; the DKG attack in December 2023; the Shahsitar attack in May 2024; the Shiv Khori attack in June 2024; the Gagangir and Bootapathri attacks in October 2024; and the Baisaran attack in April 2025.

The Baisaran incident, in particular, was one of the deadliest in recent years, when 25 tourists and a local man were killed at the popular meadow near Pahalgam. The MHA said Suleman’s role in that attack was a key factor in the multi-agency pursuit that culminated in his killing during Operation Mahadev three months later.

Coordinated counter-terror strategy

Wednesday’s announcement reiterates the government’s claim that the joint operational model—combining technical surveillance, human intelligence, and coordinated ground action—has degraded the leadership and logistical capabilities of proscribed outfits operating in the region. The Ministry credited the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Army, and the CAPFs with closely aligned efforts that “yielded positive results.”

Significance

With the death of Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Moosa in Budgam, the MHA says the top tier of LeT commanders who had been active in Jammu and Kashmir since 2022 has been fully dismantled. The Ministry framed the development as both a symbolic and operational setback for the group and an affirmation of sustained, intelligence-driven cooperation among security forces in the Union Territory.