Security forces have identified the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist killed during Operation KORAG in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district as Mohammad Asif, alias Hashim Moosa, a former Pakistan Army Havildar with an extensive background in special operations, counter-insurgency warfare and VIP protection duties.

According to security sources, Asif was born on 7 March 1980 and joined the Pakistan Army in 2000 under service number PA-3106947. He later rose to the rank of Havildar before retiring from military service in 2023.

His military career reportedly took a significant turn in 2005 when he was inducted into the Pakistan Army's elite Special Services Group (SSG). He subsequently served with the 4 Commando "Yalgar" Battalion, one of the country's specialist special operations formations.

From 2006 onwards, he was deployed in Balochistan, where he allegedly participated in approximately 10 counter-insurgency operations against Baloch separatist groups. Sources claim he was credited with 13 personal kills during those deployments.

Between 2006 and 2009, Asif was also attached to the VVIP security detail of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, highlighting the level of trust and specialised training he had received during his military career.

Documents examined by security agencies, including a Pakistani Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) issued on 12 September 2020, reportedly helped establish his identity and military background.

Officials stated that his service record reflected experience in counter-insurgency operations, United Nations deployments, VVIP security assignments and advanced weapons training.

Indian security agencies believe that following his retirement from the Pakistan Army in 2023, Asif was integrated into Lashkar-e-Taiba's operational structure and subsequently infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir.

His death was confirmed by the Army's Srinagar-based Chinar Corps after troops recovered his body along with war-like stores during a search operation in the Palmaidan area of Budgam district.

The operation began after intelligence inputs indicated the presence of terrorists in the Yousmarg region. Security forces launched a joint search mission, during which troops observed suspicious movement.

When challenged, the terrorists opened fire, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire. During the encounter, Hashim Moosa was neutralised. Search operations in the area continued afterwards to determine whether additional terrorists remained present.

Hashim Moosa had emerged as one of the most wanted foreign terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir. Security agencies had linked him to a series of attacks across the Union Territory and viewed him as a highly trained operative because of his special forces background.

He was also among the key suspects in the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 tourists, one of the deadliest civilian attacks in Kashmir in recent years.

Following that attack, Jammu and Kashmir Police announced a reward of ₹20 lakh for information leading to the arrest of Pakistani nationals and LeT operatives Adil Hussain Thoker, Ali Bhai and Hashim Moosa.

Investigators had long suspected that Moosa's specialised military training enabled him to conduct complex operations and survive prolonged counter-terrorism manhunts in difficult terrain.

The National Investigation Agency's 1,597-page chargesheet in the Pahalgam attack case named seven accused and detailed the alleged involvement of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and its proxy outfit, The Resistance Front (TRF), both designated terrorist organisations.

The chargesheet also named Pakistani handler Sajid Jatt and described what investigators characterised as a broader cross-border conspiracy to plan, facilitate and execute the attack.

The elimination of Hashim Moosa is therefore being viewed as a significant operational success for Indian security forces, not only because of his alleged role in the Pahalgam massacre but also because of the rare combination of conventional military, special forces and terrorist experience he is believed to have possessed.

ANI