Intelligence-led Budgam op kills ‘Musa’; all four senior commanders active in J&K since 2022 now eliminated, says Home Ministry
Suhail Khan
New Delhi, Oct 1 : The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday said the killing of senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Mohd Asif alias ‘Musa’, also known as Asif Fauji, in an intelligence-led operation in Budgam has dealt a serious blow to the LeT ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the MHA, Musa was killed during a joint operation at Gurwatkalan in the Khansahib police station area of Budgam district. Security forces had been tracking him for a considerable period before technical and human intelligence inputs about his movement and presence led to the formulation of a specific coordinated operation.
The Home Ministry said Musa’s neutralisation has resulted in the elimination of all four senior LeT commanders who had been operating in Jammu and Kashmir since 2022. The ministry said the group had been linked to a series of major attacks in the Union Territory.
The attacks cited by the MHA include the Kandi attack in May 2023, Halan attack in August 2023, Dera Ki Gali (DKG) attack in December 2023, Shahsitar attack in May 2024, Shiv Khori attack in June 2024, Gagangir and Bootapathri attacks in October 2024, and the Baisaran attack in April 2025.
The MHA said the three other senior commanders belonging to the group were neutralised in separate security operations. Junaid Bhat was killed on December 3, 2024, during an operation in Dachigam, while Suleman was killed on July 28, 2025, during Operation Mahadev. The fourth commander, Yasir, was killed on September 4, 2026, during Operation Asdhar, according to the ministry.
With Musa’s death, the MHA said, the entire four-member senior LeT command group that had remained active in Jammu and Kashmir since 2022 stands neutralised.
The Ministry said the operation against Musa was part of an ongoing, long-sustained counter-terrorism operation, reflecting continued efforts by security agencies to dismantle terrorist networks operating in the Union Territory.
The MHA also highlighted the coordinated role of the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Armed Police Forces in counter-terrorism operations conducted over the past several years.
The official statement said the latest operation followed sustained efforts to track Musa and intelligence inputs regarding his movements. The Army and other security agencies had been pursuing him for a long period before the operation was launched.
According to reports citing the Army, Musa’s body was subsequently recovered along with war-like stores during follow-up searches in the operation area.
The MHA described Musa’s neutralisation as a significant development in ongoing counter-terrorism operations and said the coordinated efforts of various security agencies were continuing against the LeT network in Jammu and Kashmir.
The operation comes as part of Operation Sheruwali, an extended security operation that began in May 2026, according to the MHA.
