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Mint
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Who is Saifullah Khalid? Top Lashkar commander and ‘mastermind' of Pahalgam terror attack
Pahalgam Terror Attack: The terror attack in Pahalgam's Baisaran meadow on April 22 has left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead, besides injuring several others. Soon after the attack, The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, one of the deadliest in Kashmir in years. 'More than 85,000 domiciles have been issued to non-locals, creating a pathway for demographic change in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. These non-locals arrive posing as tourists, obtain domiciles, and then begin to act as if they own the land," the TRF said in a statement circulated on social media. Mint couldn't verify the claim by TRF. The attack in Pahalgam – a popular tourist destination in South Kashmir's Anantnag district – was carried out on a day when US Vice President JD Vance was in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a state visit to Saudi Arabia. Modi cut short his visit and landed in Delhi on Wednesday morning. Reports by India Today, New Indian Express and Times of India said LeT's top commander Saifullah Kasuri, alias Khalid, is suspected to be one of the plotters. These reports attributed the information to an intelligence assessment. The role of two Rawalkot-based Lashkar commanders, one of whom is Abu Musa, is also under scrutiny, sources told Times of India. Some reports even called Kasuri the 'mastermind' behind the Pahalgam attack. The Resistance Front (TRF) is a new terrorist outfit that emerged in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370 of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. Believed to be a proxy arm of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), TRF was formed to provide a localised face' to the militancy in Kashmir, according to reports. Founded in October 2019, the group was led by Sheikh Sajjad Gul as the Supreme Commander, with Basit Ahmed Dar serving as the Chief Operational Commander. The TRF was initially formed with cadres from Hizbul Mujahideen and LeT, according to reports. The Union government has been calling TRF as a 'proxy' front for the LeT. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banned TRF and all its manifestations and front organisations in January 2023. The Ministry has declared them as terrorist organisations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967. The TRF has had a role in majority of attacks on civilians, including Kashmiri Pandits and migrant workers as well as security forces in Kashmir, for the past many years. Before the attack on tourists Pahalgam on Tuesday, TRF, the banned outfit, claimed responsibility for the attack at a construction site in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district, which killed a doctor and six migrant workers in October 2024. Saifullah Khalid, or Saifullah Kasuri, is said to be the deputy chief of LeT. Kasuri is also said to have a connection with Hafiz Saeed, the LeT co-founder. Two months before the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Khalid had reached Kanganpur in Punjab, Pakistan, where a large battalion of the Pakistan Army is based, according to reports, which Mint could not verify. In one of the meetings held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khalid was heard gave inflammatory speeches against India. 'I promise that today is February 2, 2025. We will try our best to capture Kashmir by February 2, 2026. In the coming days, our Mujahideen will intensify attacks" he is heard in one unverified speech. Khalid is also the head of LeT's Peshawar headquarters in Pakistan. He is said to have served on Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD)'s Coordination Committee for Central Punjab Province. JuD, another name for LeT was designated by the Department of State as an alias of LeT pursuant in April 2016, and was added to the United Nations Sanctions list as an alias of LeT in December 2008. First Published: 23 Apr 2025, 10:38 AM IST
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Pahalgam terror attack: What we know about The Resistance Front and main plotter Saifullah Khalid
NEW DELHI: The Resistance Front ( TRF ), a Pakistan-backed terror outfit , has claimed responsibility for the ghastly attack in Jammu and Kashmir 's Pahalgam region, which killed 28 people. The attack has sent shockwaves through the region just weeks ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, a period when Jammu and Kashmir typically sees a surge in tourist activity. "More than 85,000 domiciles have been issued to non-locals, creating a pathway for demographic change in Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJK). These non-locals arrive posing as tourists, obtain domiciles, and then being to act as if they own the land. Consequently, violence will be directed toward those attempting to settle illegally," the TRF said. LeT's top commander Saifullah Kasuri, alias Khalid, is suspected to be one of the plotters, according to an intelligence assessment. The role of two Rawalkot-based Lashkar commanders, one of whom is Abu Musa, is also under scrutiny, sources said. Who is Saifullah Khalid? Saifullah Kasuri (Khalid) was designated for acting for or on behalf of LeT. Khalid was introduced as the President of the MML and spoke about the party's formation, aims, and objectives, during an August 8, 2017 press conference, according to the US Treasury. Khalid is also the head of LeT's Peshawar headquarters, and served on Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD)'s Coordination Committee for Central Punjab Province. JuD was designated by the Department of State as an alias of LeT pursuant to E.O. 13224 in April 2016, and was added to the United Nations 1267/1988 Sanctions list as an alias of LeT in December 2008. What is The Resistance Front? The Resistance Front (TRF) is a relatively new yet deadly terrorist outfit that emerged in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Established in 2019, TRF orchestrated several terrorist incidents, including the November 26 Mumbai attacks. The government proscribed TRF last year for its involvement in online recruitment of youth for terrorist activities , facilitating infiltration of terrorists, and coordinating weapons and narcotics smuggling from Pakistan into J&K. A notification issued by the MHA said, 'The Resistance Front came into existence in the year 2019 as a proxy outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba , a proscribed terrorist organisation listed at serial number 5 of the first schedule under the UAPA.' The organisation's commander, Sheikh Sajjad Gul, has been classified as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act 1967. TRF has executed numerous assaults on civilians, security personnel, and political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir. Intelligence reports indicate that Pakistani state entities, particularly the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), provide support to maintain regional instability. History of violence The initial emergence of TRF was noted following an extended four-day armed confrontation near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara's Keran Sector, beginning April 1, 2020. Police records indicate that five infiltrators from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) caught security forces off guard by occupying a difficult-to-access area in Keran, maintaining their position for over five days in deep snow. These highly trained and determined militants were neutralised only after the Army's special forces engaged in a prolonged battle. The operation resulted in the loss of five soldiers, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO). In a separate incident, militants attacked a construction site in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir in October 2024, resulting in the deaths of a local doctor and six migrant labourers. The banned organisation TRF took responsibility for this Ganderbal incident as well. Each narrative and propaganda from TRF aims to obstruct initiatives for Kashmir's integration with India. Following their recent attacks, TRF released a 'Strategy Note' stating their intention to target and prevent non-local business ventures and oppose the issuance of domicile certificates to outsiders, according to the ORF. Previously, on May 30, 2019, TRF had announced—"We openly declare that any Indian who comes with the intention to settle in Kashmir will be treated as an agent of RSS and not a civilian, and will be dealt with appropriately." Operating under the slogan 'Resistance till Victory', TRF maintains a focused agenda of opposing Kashmir's development whilst sustaining their separatist objectives.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Pakistan Army chief's dog whistle being seen as trigger for bloodbath
NEW DELHI: Pakistan's Army chief General Asim Munir's recent dog-whistle - wherein he termed Kashmir as Pakistan's "jugular vein" - is being seen as among the possible triggers for Lashkar-e-Taiba 's terror attack in Pahalgam coinciding with the visit of US vice president JD Vance , sources said. While agencies have yet to form a definitive assessment, multiple intelligence officers said there were indicators that Munir's provocative address, in which he also focused on the differential treatment of Muslims and Hindus, may have emboldened The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of LeT, which has claimed responsibility for the attack, to plan a "spectacular strike". LeT's top commander Saifullah Kasuri, alias Khalid, is suspected to be one of the plotters, according to an intelligence assessment. The role of two Rawalkot-based Lashkar commanders, one of whom is Abu Musa, is also under scrutiny, sources said. On April 18, Musa organised an event in Rawalkot where he said, "Jihad will continue, guns will rage and beheading will continue in Kashmir. India wants to change demography of Kashmir by giving domicile certificates to non locals." Many of the victims in Pahalgam were asked to recite the 'kalma' (Islamic phrase of degradation of faith), and those who could not were shot dead. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo TOI had reported last week that the Indian intelligence establishment viewed the anti-Hindu rhetoric as a calculated move - coinciding with protests against changes to the Waqf Act - to motivate Pakistan-based terrorists to regroup. The preliminary assessment of the intelligence agencies is that around sixterrorists, supported by local auxiliaries, carried out the attack. "It seems the attackers arrived a few days prior to the attack, conducted reconnaissance, and then struck when they saw an opportunity. In early April (1-7), there were inputs that terrorists had conducted reconnaissance of some hotels. So, there wasn't an intelligence failure," a source said.
