Pakistani terrorist behind deadly Pahalgam attack is former para commando, probe finds

Time of India

29-04-2025

Investigations into the April 22
Pahalgam terror attack
have revealed that
Hashim Musa
, the Pakistani terrorist behind the massacre in Pahalgam in India's Kashmir, is a former para commando of the
Pakistan Army
's Special Forces, according to ongoing probe into the terror plot, ToI reported.
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Sources told The Times of India that Musa, now a committed member of the banned terrorist organisation
Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT), was sent by its top leadership to Kashmir with a clear mission to launch attacks on non-local civilians and Indian security personnel.
'It is possible that he was loaned by the
Pakistan
special forces like the Special Service Group (SSG), to the LeT,' a security officer said.
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The SSG para commandos are known for their training in unconventional warfare, which includes covert missions, physical and mental endurance, strategic combat techniques, and high survival and navigation skills. They are also skilled in the use of advanced weaponry and hand-to-hand fighting.
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Pahalgam attackers likely part of earlier strikes on non-Kashmiris with Pakistani handlers
A senior officer involved in the probe said that Musa's background in the Pakistan Army has been verified during the interrogation of 15 overground workers (OGWs) from Kashmir. These individuals are being treated as major suspects in the case, accused of helping the Pakistani attackers by arranging logistics and assisting with reconnaissance. This link to Musa's military past is being seen as clear proof of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI's involvement in the Pahalgam attack, as well as in previous terror incidents in the region, ToI reported.
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These past incidents include the October 2024 attacks in Gagangir, Ganderbal, where six non-local civilians and a doctor were killed, and at Buta Pathri, Baramulla, where two Indian Army personnel and two porters lost their lives. Musa has now been identified as the key attacker behind all three strikes.
Investigations have also found that two other local terrorists, Junaid Ahmad Bhat and Arbaaz Mir, who had trained in Pakistan, were involved in the Gagangir and Buta Pathri attacks. However, both were killed in separate encounters with Indian forces in November and December 2024. Since then, Musa has continued the campaign to attack non-locals in the Kashmir Valley, culminating in the killing of 26 civilians, including 25 tourists, in Baisaran, Pahalgam.
The probe has uncovered a local network of OGWs and terror supporters in South Kashmir who helped the Pahalgam attack team by organising shelters and possibly arranging the transport of weapons. Local guides also helped in scouting the area in advance and mapping out potential hiding spots for the attackers before and after the strike.
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So far, investigators have identified the involvement of two Pakistani nationals — Hashim Musa and Ali Bhai — and two local residents, Adil Thoker and Asif Shaikh. However, interrogations of the OGWs suggest more Pakistani terrorists might be linked to the attack.
Combing operations are currently underway in the forests near Baisaran. 'The search has now been narrowed to a limited area,' as investigators have 'reasonably' located where the attackers were positioned, a source told ToI.