Musharraf's Guard To LeT Commander: Who Was Hashim Musa, Killed In J&K

Indian Army and security forces killed a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, identified as Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Musa, during an encounter in Budgam in Central Kashmir last night.

The terrorist was a former Pakistan Army commando who had served with its elite Special Services Group (SSG) before joining the LeT after his retirement.

According to information available with security agencies accessed by NDTV, Musa served in the Pakistan Army for nearly 23 years and retired as a Havildar on March 31, 2023, at the age of 42. He was part of the 4th Commando Yalghar Battalion of the SSG and carried Pakistan Army Service Number PA-3106947.

After leaving military service, he allegedly crossed into India and became a senior commander of the LeT's terrorist network in Jammu and Kashmir.

Musa was a resident of Mohalla Kohisar Colony in New Chakra, Rawalpindi, while his family originally hailed from Dhok Maliyar village in Pakistan's Attock district. He moved to Rawalpindi with his wife, Abida Parveen, and their three daughters in 2015.

Read: Lashkar Terrorist Gunned Down During Encounter With Security Forces In J&K

His background in the Pakistan Army included several sensitive operational assignments. Between 2006 and 2008, Musa was reportedly part of the personal security detail of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.

His service record also included counter-insurgency operations in Balochistan against the Balochistan Liberation Army in 2006, operations in Kurram Agency during 2011-12, and deployments in North and South Waziristan in 2014-15. He also participated in operations against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in Khyber Agency during 2015-16.

Musa had also served outside Pakistan as part of the country's contingent for the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Sudan in 2009. During his military career, he was reportedly awarded the Tamgha-e-Istiqlal and Tamgha-e-Azm for his service.

Security agencies have also traced documentary details connected with his Pakistani identity. Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority reportedly reissued his Computerised National Identity Card on September 12, 2020. The document was stated to have remained valid until 2030.

Following his retirement from the Pakistan Army in March 2023, Musa allegedly shifted from military service to terrorist activity. He subsequently infiltrated Jammu and Kashmir and was appointed a senior, reportedly chief, commander of the LeT's operations in the region.

Indian security agencies have linked Musa to several major attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. His alleged involvement includes the Dera Ki Gali terror attack of December 21, 2023, and the Gulmarg terror attack in October 2024.

He was also allegedly leading the ambush on an Indian Air Force convoy in Poonch on May 4, 2024, in which one IAF personnel was killed, and five others were injured.

His reported military experience made him a significant figure within the terror network operating in Jammu and Kashmir. His knowledge of combat, counter-insurgency tactics and terrain was believed to have added operational capability to the terrorist group after his infiltration.

The Budgam operation that resulted in his death marks the elimination of a terrorist who, according to the details gathered by Indian security agencies, had moved from a long career in Pakistan's elite military formation to a leadership role within the LeT's cross-border terror network.

Security forces are continuing operations and searches in the area to determine whether other terrorists or additional war-like material are present in the vicinity.