Srinagar, Sep 30: A top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, likely Asif Fouji alias Mussa, has been killed in an ongoing encounter between terrorists and security forces in the Palmaiden-Mugpathri forest area of Khansahib in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, official sources said on Tuesday.
According to sources, the encounter broke out after security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation (CASO) in the area following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists hiding in the dense forests of Budgam.
As the security forces tightened the cordon and intensified the search operation, the hiding terrorists opened fire, triggering an exchange of gunfire. In the ensuing encounter, security forces neutralised Asif Fouji alias Mussa, a senior Lashkar commander who had been on the radar of security agencies for his involvement in multiple terror attacks and terrorist activities across Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said Mussa was considered one of the key Lashkar operatives active in the region and was allegedly involved in a number of terror incidents in the LoC district **Rajouri-Poonch as well as South Kashmir**. Security officials believe he played an important role in planning and executing terrorist operations and had managed to evade security forces for a prolonged period by frequently changing his hideouts and area of operation.
The killing of Mussa is being seen as a significant setback for the Pakistan-backed terror outfit. Security agencies had been tracking his movements for several months, as he continuously shifted locations to avoid detection and escape counter-terror operations.
Notably, Mussa’s close associate and another top terrorist commander, **Yasir**, was killed by security forces in an encounter in Budgam around three weeks ago. With the elimination of both commanders, security agencies believe the terrorist network operating in parts of Central and South Kashmir has suffered a major blow.
A tight security cordon remains in place around the encounter site, while additional reinforcements have been deployed in the area. Security forces are carrying out extensive searches to ascertain whether any other terrorists are hiding in the forested belt.
The operation is still underway, and officials said further details will be shared once the search operation is concluded. Senior police and security officers are monitoring the situation closely.
