In a significant blow to Pakistan-backed terrorism, Saifullah Khalid, a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative and mastermind behind multiple deadly attacks in India, was shot dead in Pakistan’s Sindh province. Pakistani security sources confirmed on Sunday that Khalid was killed by an unidentified gunman in Malti Talkula, located in Sindh’s Badin district.
Mastermind Behind Major Terror Attacks in India
Saifullah Khalid was widely regarded as one of the key plotters in several high-profile attacks across India. Authorities suspect his direct involvement in:
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2001 CRPF Camp Attack (Rampur): Khalid orchestrated the deadly assault on a Central Reserve Police Force camp in Uttar Pradesh.
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2005 IISc Bengaluru Bombing: He was linked to the bomb blast at the Indian Institute of Science, a premier academic institution.
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2008 RSS Headquarters Attack (Nagpur): Khalid planned the attempted attack on the RSS headquarters, an ideologically significant target.
More recently, he is believed to have been one of the masterminds behind the April 22 terror strike in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 civilians dead.
Operating Undercover in Nepal
Before relocating to Pakistan, Khalid reportedly operated under the alias “Vinode Kumar” in Nepal. He married a local woman, Nagma Banu, who was allegedly helping coordinate Lashkar-e-Taiba’s recruitment and logistical support activities in the region.
Khalid ran a key LeT module in Nepal, using the porous Indo-Nepal border to facilitate terrorist movement into India. He also played a critical role in fundraising for both LeT and its political front, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD).
Killed in Mysterious Circumstances
His killing on May 18 comes as a notable development in the ongoing efforts to dismantle LeT’s cross-border terror infrastructure. While the identity and motive of the assailant remain unknown, security agencies are treating this as a major breakthrough in the crackdown on Pakistan-based terror networks.
