KEY POINTS
- Hashim Musa, a former Pakistani para commando, infiltrated into India and led the Pahalgam terror attack for Lashkar-e-Taiba.
- He was aided by local OGWs who provided logistics, shelter, and weapon transport, revealing a South Kashmir terror module.
- Musa also involved in Gagangir and Buta Pathri attacks; both local militants with him were killed in later encounters.
In a significant breakthrough in the investigation of the Pahalgam terror attack, security agencies have identified one of the main terrorists involved as Hashim Musa, a Pakistani national and former para commando in the Pakistan Army. Musa is reported to be associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and was sent to Jammu and Kashmir to execute terror operations, officials confirmed.
According to intelligence sources, Musa was dismissed by the Pakistan Army before being recruited by LeT, a banned Islamic terror outfit backed by Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI. He infiltrated into India in September 2023 and had been primarily operating in Budgam district, close to Srinagar, since then.
His military background was revealed during the interrogation of 15 overground workers (OGWs) from Kashmir, who are now under scrutiny for aiding the Pahalgam attackers. These OGWs are suspected of providing logistical support, conducting reconnaissance, and possibly facilitating the movement of weapons, pointing to deeper involvement of Pakistan’s intelligence infrastructure.
A senior security official stated, “It is possible that he was loaned by Pakistan special forces, like Special Service Group (SSG), to LeT.” Security agencies believe that Musa’s training as a para commando—which includes expertise in unconventional warfare, covert operations, handling of sophisticated weapons, and survival skills — was instrumental in orchestrating recent attacks in Kashmir.
Besides the Pahalgam incident, Musa was also involved in the October 2024 twin terror attacks in Gagangir (Ganderbal) and Buta Pathri (Baramulla). The Gagangir attack claimed the lives of six non-local civilians and a doctor, while in Buta Pathri, two army personnel and two army porters were killed.
In both attacks, Musa operated alongside two local terrorists, Junaid Ahmad Bhat and Arbaaz Mir, who had been trained in Pakistan. Both militants were neutralized in separate encounters by Indian security forces in November and December 2024.
Investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have unearthed a terror module operating in South Kashmir, comprising both locals and Pakistani infiltrators. The module is believed to have guided the Pahalgam attackers, arranged hideouts, and potentially transported weapons used in the attack.
It is now confirmed that the Pahalgam attack was directly carried out by two Pakistani nationals Hashim Musa and Ali Bhai along with two locals, Adil Thoker and Asif Shaikh. However, ongoing interrogation of OGWs suggests more Pakistani terrorists may have been involved, and investigations are actively underway to identify them.
The emerging details further highlight Pakistan’s continued use of trained military operatives and local terror networks to destabilize Jammu and Kashmir, as Indian security forces intensify their crackdown on cross-border terrorism.
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