When ‘Sher' Will Roar: Fully Indigenised AK-203 Rifles Set To Arm Indian Army
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News18
44 minutes ago
- News18
Who Was Hashim Musa, Pahalgam Attack Mastermind Killed In Dachigam Encounter?
Last Updated: Ex-Pakistani SSG commando turned Lashkar handler, Musa was behind the April 22 terror attack that killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir The Indian Army's Special Forces on Monday eliminated Hashim Musa, the mastermind behind the recent Pahalgam terror attack, during an intense encounter in the dense forests of Harwan near Dachigam, Jammu and Kashmir. His death marks a major breakthrough in India's ongoing counter-terror operations in the Valley. At least three terrorists were killed in the gunfight, which took place around 20 kilometres from Srinagar's city centre. 'Three terrorists have been neutralised in an intense firefight. Operation continues," the Army's Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said in a post on X. The Dachigam encounter came amid a large-scale manhunt for those behind the Pahalgam massacre. Intelligence inputs gathered over the past month had indicated that some of the operatives involved in the April 22 attack may have moved into the Harwan–Dachigam region. Who Was Hashim Musa? Hashim Musa, also known as Suleiman Musa, was formerly associated with Pakistan's Special Services Group (SSG), the elite commando wing of the Pakistani Army. According to multiple intelligence sources cited in media reports, Musa was later inducted into the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba. Security officials believe he was 'loaned" by elements of Pakistan's military establishment to support Lashkar's cross-border operations in Jammu and Kashmir, part of a pattern where ex-special forces personnel are informally embedded within terror groups to enhance their operational capabilities while maintaining plausible deniability. According to an India Today report, Musa had infiltrated Indian territory around September 2023 through the Kathua–Samba sector along the International Border. After entering Jammu and Kashmir, he was active across districts such as Budgam, Baramulla, Rajouri, Poonch, and Ganderbal. These movements were pieced together through intelligence assessments and the interrogation of overground workers (OGWs) detained following the Pahalgam attack. The April 22 Pahalgam Attack On April 22, 2025, heavily armed terrorists opened fire on civilians in the Baisaran Valley area near Pahalgam, killing 26 people. The attackers were equipped with M4 rifles and used tactics that suggested professional military training and coordination. Investigators later identified Musa as the key figure behind the planning and execution of the attack. Suspected Role In Earlier Attacks Reports also link Musa to at least three other attacks in 2024, including in Ganderbal and Baramulla, where security forces and civilians were targeted. His presence in those zones was corroborated through digital intelligence and human inputs collected over several months. Reward And Search Operation Following the Pahalgam massacre, the Jammu and Kashmir Police released sketches of three suspects, including Musa, and announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh for actionable information. Posters were circulated in sensitive districts to generate leads. At least 15 overground workers were arrested in connection with the case, as per The New Indian Express. A Trained Threat Neutralised Musa's background in the Pakistan Army and his operations in Kashmir under Lashkar-e-Taiba's banner made him one of the most technically capable foreign terrorists active in the region. His elimination is being seen as a significant development in the ongoing campaign against Pakistani-backed terrorism. First Published: July 28, 2025, 15:14 IST News india Who Was Hashim Musa, Pahalgam Attack Mastermind Killed In Dachigam Encounter? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Congress, Chidambaram speaking Pakistan's language: Shivraj Chouhan
Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday accused the Congress and its leader P Chidambaram of "speaking the same language" as used by Pakistan and claimed that the Opposition was "running away" from a discussion in Parliament on Operation Sindoor out of fear of being unmasked. Speaking to reporters inside the Parliament complex, he said when the government is ready to discuss the issue then why is the Opposition running away from it. The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm on Monday amid opposition protests on the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, delaying the start of the discussion on Operation Sindoor. A political row erupted on Monday over Chidambaram's reported remarks that the terrorists behind the Pahalgam could have been "homegrown". "It was their demand only that a discussion should be held on Operation Sindoor. And, when the government is ready for discussion, why is it running away from it? The entire Opposition is not letting a discussion on terror and terrorism. Is there a fear of being unmasked?" Chouhan said. Reacting to former home minister Chidambaram's reported remarks related to the Pahalgam terror attack in a video interview, Chouhan said, "Why is P Chidambaram saying this?" "The language in which Pakistan is speaking, the same language is being used by Chidambaram and Congress... The mask has been removed from the Opposition's face," he said, wondering if the Congress leader was asking for proof about Pakistan's hand in the attack. Chidambaram, in an interview with The Quint, said, "...for all we know they could be homegrown terrorists, why do we assume they came from Pakistan?". He, however, later said that his remarks had been taken out of context. "Trolls are of different kinds and use different tools to spread misinformation. The worst kind is a troll who suppresses the full recorded interview, takes two sentences, mutes some words, and paints the speaker in a black colour!" he wrote on X. Earlier in the day, BJP leader and former Union minister Anurag Thakur accused the Congress of casting doubts on the achievements of the Indian Army during Operation Sindoor. Speaking to PTI Videos inside the Parliament complex, he alleged, "When it comes to terrorist attacks, Pakistan is unable to defend itself, but Rahul-occupied Congress leaders are quick to take its side." Thakur said this was not the first time that Congress leaders have demanded evidence from the Indian Army while attempting to "absolve Pakistan in advance". "The country will not give dossiers anymore, it will give doses. We will not give proof, we will give coffins to terrorists," the Hamirpur MP said. Thakur said those who once promoted an anti-India narrative could not face the Indian Army during the operation, in a reference to Pakistan. "This mindset of placing doubt on our soldiers while shielding Pakistan shows the Congress' low thinking and anti-national attitude," he alleged. BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj said Chidambaram's comments were "deeply shameful", especially given his stature as a former home minister. Speaking to PTI Videos, she pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared the start of the Monsoon Session a celebration of Operation Sindoor's success. "And yet, someone like P Chidambaram gives such a should be ashamed," she said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Three terrorists killed in gunfight in Srinagar district, identification process underway
Srinagar: Three terrorists were cornered and killed in a gunfight with the security forces under 'Operation Mahadev' in the Dachigam area of J&K's Srinagar district on Monday, the army said. The three terrorists were killed in an intense gunfight with the security forces in the higher reaches of Dachigam National Park near the Mahadev peak in the Harwan area of Srinagar. "The operation is still going on in the area. The exact identity of the slain terrorists is being ascertained," an army official said. The killings of the three terrorists came after an anti-terrorist operation was started on Monday by the security forces in the Dachigam National Park. "The anti-terrorist operation was started following Intelligence inputs. Reinforcements were rushed to the spot as the area is densely populated and the terrain under operation is tough," an official said. The Indian Army, J&K Police and the security forces have been launching aggressive anti-terrorist operations across the area targeting terrorists, Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and sympathisers of terrorism in order to totally dismantle the ecosystem of terror in the UT. The focus previously used to be merely on the elimination of terrorists, but since 2019, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has given an elaborate and extensive narrative and objective to anti-terrorist operations by speaking of the terror ecosystem and bringing it into focus. The concept of security has since undergone a sea-change as the entire gamut of anti-nationalist operatives, whether armed or not, has been brought under the anti-terrorist operations. After the April 22 terror attack by Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed, the anti-terrorist operations have been using cutting-edge technology, backed up with human Intelligence to defeat the nefarious designs of the terrorists. The heinous Pahalgam terrorist attack outraged the entire country, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the armed forces a free hand to avenge the Pahalgam attack. Indian armed forces carried out target-specific strikes against terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan, destroying nine terror bases. However, Pakistan retaliated by targeting military and civilian facilities, destroying scores of homes and other private property and religious places, including a temple, a gurdwara and a church in Poonch district of Jammu division. In the resultant escalation, 18 defence bases of the Pakistan armed forces were damaged.
