From Pakistan Army SSG to LeT: The Story of Hashim Musa Killed in Budgam
Media Agencies
Senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Musa, also known as Asif Fauji, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
The Indian Army’s Chinar Corps said a joint search operation was launched in the Korag area of Yousmarg after security forces received specific intelligence about the presence of terrorists. During the operation, troops observed suspicious activity and challenged the suspected terrorists. The terrorists opened fire, leading to an exchange of fire in which one terrorist was killed. The Army later said the body of Pakistan-based LeT terrorist Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Musa was recovered along with war-like stores. (Public Tv English)
Former Pakistan Army SSG Commando
According to information accessed by NDTV and reports citing security sources, Musa had served in the Pakistan Army for nearly 23 years before retiring as a Havildar on March 31, 2023, at the age of 42.
Reports said he served with the 4th Commando Yalghar Battalion of Pakistan’s Special Services Group (SSG) and was identified by Pakistan Army service number PA-3106947. His reported military background included counter-insurgency operations and specialised military duties. (NDTV)
Following his retirement from the Pakistan Army, security agencies allege that Musa became associated with the LeT and later emerged as a senior commander of its network in Jammu and Kashmir. The exact circumstances surrounding his movement from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir have been described in reports based on security and intelligence inputs. (ABP Live English)
Reportedly Served in Musharraf’s Security Detail
One of the notable aspects of Musa’s reported military career was his alleged involvement in the security detail of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.
Reports citing security sources said Musa served with a VVIP security team during part of his Pakistan Army career. He was also reportedly deployed in counter-insurgency operations in areas including Balochistan, Kurram and the former tribal regions. (NDTV)
According to reports, his military service also included a deployment connected to a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sudan. Security-source accounts have further claimed that he received military service awards during his career. These details have been reported from security-source material and have not been independently verified through publicly available Pakistani military records. (MATV)
Alleged Role in Jammu and Kashmir Attacks
After joining the LeT, Musa was allegedly involved in several attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, according to Indian security agencies and media reports.
His name has been linked to the Dera Ki Gali attack of December 2023 and the Gulmarg attack of October 2024. Reports also said he was allegedly involved in the ambush on an Indian Air Force convoy in Poonch on May 4, 2024, in which one Air Force personnel was killed and five others were injured. (ABP Live English)
The Ministry of Home Affairs has also linked Musa to a wider group of four senior LeT commanders who, according to the ministry, were active in Jammu and Kashmir and associated with several attacks between 2023 and 2025. (Kashmir Life)
Identity Traced Through Security Inputs
Reports have provided additional details about Musa’s identity and background based on documents and information gathered by security agencies.
According to reports, Mohammad Asif was born in Pakistan and had family connections to the Attock district. Security-source reports also said that Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority had issued identity documentation in his name.
However, details such as his family residence, identity documents and individual service history are based largely on information attributed to intelligence and security sources. They should therefore be treated as reported information rather than independently established facts. (NDTV)
Musa Killed During Budgam Operation
The operation that led to Musa’s death was part of a sustained intelligence-led effort by security forces to locate him.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said security agencies had been pursuing Musa for a considerable period and had developed a coordinated plan after receiving technical and human intelligence about his movements. (Kashmir Life)
The operation involved the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Armed Police Forces. Following the encounter, searches continued in the area to check for any additional terrorist presence and recover further material.
The MHA described Musa’s death as a significant development against the LeT network in Jammu and Kashmir. It also said that with his killing, all four senior LeT commanders from the group it identified as having operated in the region since 2022 had been neutralised in separate security operations. (Kashmir Life)
Musa’s reported transition from a long career in Pakistan’s SSG to a senior position in the LeT has made his background a major focus of security agencies following his death. The Budgam operation is now among the latest counter-terrorism operations in central Kashmir, while searches in the area remain part of the security forces’ continuing efforts to detect any remaining terrorist presence.
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