A top Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, identified as Sulaiman Shah alias Musa, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Budgam’s Yousmarg areaHe was wanted in several terror cases and had reportedly escaped an encounter earlier this month.
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Top LeT terrorist, hunted for years, killed in Budgam encounter; Who was Sulaiman Shah alias Musa? (PTI/File)
A senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist wanted in connection with several attacks in Jammu and Kashmir was killed in an encounter with security forces in Budgam district on TuesdayThe encounter took place in the higher reaches of central Kashmir’s Budgam district, near Korag in the Yousmarg areaThe operation was launched after security forces received specific information about the movement of terrorists in the region.
According to officials, the slain terrorist was identified as Sulaiman Shah, alias MusaHowever, the Army’s Chinar Corps did not officially name the terrorist in its initial statementAnother report identified the slain terrorist as Fauzi Musa, so the identity details were not immediately consistent across reports.
The Army, along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), launched a joint search operation in the Korag area of Yousmarg.
During the operation, troops noticed suspicious movement in the area and challenged the suspected terroristsThe militants responded by firing at the security personnel, leading to a gunfightThe Army said one terrorist was killed in the exchange of fire.
“Vigilant troops observed suspicious activity, and upon being challenged, the terrorists opened fire,” the Chinar Corps said in a statementThe Army added that the firing led to an exchange of gunfire in which one terrorist was neutralised.
OP KORAG, Yousmarg
Based on specific intelligence input, a Joint Search Operation was launched by #IndianArmy, @JmuKmrPolice and @crpf_srinagar in general area Korag, Yousmarg.
Vigilant troops observed suspicious activity and upon being challenged, terrorists opened fire,…
— Chinar Corps – Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) September 29, 2026
Officials said the gunfight took place in the forested area around DudhpathriThe operation continued after the terrorist was killed as security forces searched the surrounding forest for any other militants who may have been hiding there.
Who was Musa?
According to security officials, Musa had been on the radar of security agencies for several yearsHe was wanted in connection with attacks reported on both sides of the Pir Panjal range.
His name also came up during a security operation in the Yousmarg hills earlier this monthOn September 5, security forces killed a LeT terrorist identified by Jammu and Kashmir Police as Yasir, a Pakistani national, during Operation Ashdar in Budgam.
Security sources had earlier said that Yasir was associated with a group that included MusaThe two were reportedly active in the forested and mountainous areas connecting central Kashmir with the Pir Panjal region.
The September 5 operation was launched after security forces received information about terrorist movement in the higher reaches of BudgamThe Army, J&K Police and CRPF were involved in the operation.
Security forces step up operations in forest areas
The latest encounter comes amid continued searches in the difficult forest and mountain terrain of central Kashmir and the Pir Panjal region.
The area around Yousmarg and Dudhpathri has dense forests and high-altitude terrain, making searches more difficult for security forcesAgencies have been carrying out operations based on intelligence inputs to track suspected militant groups operating in these areas.
The killing of the terrorist identified by officials as Musa is being viewed by security officials as a significant development in their efforts to track LeT networks operating in Jammu and KashmirFurther details about the encounter and the identity of the slain terrorist are expected as the operation and investigation continue.
(With inputs from agencies)
