Pakistan has denied any involvement in the Pahalgam attack, but recent investigations have revealed an important figure who played a key role in the recent terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir: Hashim Musa, also known as Asif Fauji or Suleman. He is a Pakistani national and a former commando in the Special Service Group (SSG) of the Pakistani Army.
According to sources, “Hashim Musa, originally from Pakistan and also known as Asif Fauji or Suleman, was formerly a commando in the Special Service Group (SSG) of the Pakistani Army. Due to his service in the Pakistani Army, he was also known as Asif ‘Fauji’.”
According to sources in the investigating agencies, Hashim Musa, the terrorist behind the Pahalgam attack, is a Pakistani national and a former para-commando of the Special Forces. Sources suggest that Hashim Musa received specialized training from Pakistan’s Special Service Group (SSG) and became active with Lashkar-e-Taiba. Intelligence reports indicate that, based on the way the attack was carried out, Hashim Musa was part of the team responsible for providing training and equipment to the terrorists. The directive was to target non-local civilians, Indian and foreign tourists, as well as security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.
Security agencies are investigating whether he is part of the same group that infiltrated the Poonch Rajouri region, one and a half years ago. Security agencies are trying to connect the dots wbetween these two attcks and trying to find out whether it was the same group which infiltrate Poonch-Rajouri one-and-a-half years ago and now attacked on the civillians.
The government has announced a prize of Rs 20 lakh on Hashim Musa.
Accorrding to reports Musa’s terror activities date back to December 2023, when a brutal attack was carried out on an Army convoy in Poonch. Not only did the attackers ambush the convoy but also affected a soldier’s body by mutilating. In December 2023, an Army convoy in Poonch was attacked and the body of a soldier was mutilated. “This could have been the handiwork by the same group,” added
It is believed that he has been active in the valley for the past one year. Following the attack on tourists at Baisaran in Pahalgam a few days ago, intelligence reports say that he and 4 other terrorists are now hiding in the higher reaches of the Pir Panjal range.
Jammu and Kashmir Police have identified four terrorists who are involved in Pahalgam attack, named Ali Bhai alias Talha (Pakistani), Asif Fauji (Pakistani), Adil Hussain Thoker (Anantnag residents) and Ahsan (Pulwama residents). A police release of sketches of the suspects, based on survivor accounts.
Further investigations have revealed that Hashim Musa, operating under the code name “Moosa,” coordinated with other Pakistani-backed terror groups besides Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He has been linked to at least three earlier attacks targeting security forces and non-locals. According to intelligence, Musa was possibly deployed by Pakistan’s Special Service Group to support Lashkar-e-Taiba’s operations in Kashmir. He worked closely with The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar proxy, under code names Moosa, Yunus, and Asif, along with associates Suleman Shah and Abu Talha.
Indian security forces recently neutralized another LeT terrorist associate, Altaf Lalli, in Bandipora district during an ongoing encounter. Meanwhile, National Investigation Agency (NIA) teams are gathering testimonies from survivors, including tourists who witnessed the gruesome Pahalgam attack.
