Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Yasir, a Pakistani national wanted in connection with multiple terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in 2024, was killed in a gunfight with security forces in the mountainous Yusmarg area, officials said. Yasir was reportedly affiliated with a LeT module led by commander Junai Ahmed Bhat and was suspected of playing a role in the May 2024 ambush of an Indian Air Force convoy in Poonch, as well as attacks near Sonamarg and Gulmarg later that year.
The terrorist was killed on Friday during Operation Ashdar, launched after security forces received intelligence about a group of terrorists moving through the Pir Panjal mountains.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police identified the slain militant as Yasir and said he was affiliated with the banned LeT. “You Can Run But You Can't Hide!” the police said in a post on X after the operation.
Security agencies had reportedly detected Yasir's presence in the region in 2024. Officials said he was suspected of involvement in at least three major attacks that year. On May 4, terrorists ambushed an IAF convoy near Shahsitar in Poonch's Surankote area, killing one IAF personnel and injuring four others.
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Yasir was also suspected of involvement in the October 20 attack near Gangangir in the Sonamarg area, in which seven people, including a local doctor, were killed.
Four days later, terrorists attacked an Army vehicle at Bota Pathri near Gulmarg, killing five people, including three soldiers and two civilian porters.
Officials said Yasir and another LeT terrorist, identified as Musa, later went into hiding in the Yusmarg-Pulwama belt before crossing into the Jammu side of the Pir Panjal range.
Security forces tracked their movement from Ashdar Gali towards Pakherpora through Yusmarg. The Army, J&K Police and CRPF launched a joint cordon on September 1 and engaged the terrorists on September 3. An AK-series rifle was recovered from the encounter site.
The operation is still underway as security forces search for Musa, who is believed to be hiding among boulders and natural caves at an altitude of around 12,000-15,500 feet.
Heavy rain and visibility of barely five metres have added to the operational challenges.
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