LeT’s Hashim Musa, former Pakistani commando identified as Pahalgam attack mastermind

Investigations into the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack have revealed that the mastermind behind the gruesome massacre was a highly trained Pakistani national — Hashim Musa, a former para commando of the Pakistan Army's elite Special Service Group (SSG). Security agencies believe Musa was loaned to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) by Pakistan’s military to execute precision terror strikes in the Kashmir Valley.

The attack in Baisaran, Pahalgam, left 26 people dead, including 25 tourists and a local guide. Officials said that Musa’s involvement was confirmed through the interrogation of 15 overground workers (OGWs) who were arrested for assisting the attackers with logistics, safe houses, and reconnaissance. His background as a special forces operative points to the direct hand of Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI, in orchestrating the assault.

Musa's training includes expertise in unconventional warfare, guerrilla tactics, high-altitude survival, and advanced weaponry — all characteristics that made the Pahalgam strike deadly and swift. He was specifically sent by LeT’s top command to target non-local civilians and Indian security personnel in a campaign of psychological and physical terror.

Investigators believe this is not Musa’s first operation in India. He has also been linked to previous terror attacks in Gagangir (Ganderbal) and Buta Pathri (Baramulla), where a total of ten people — including civilians, soldiers, and medical personnel — were killed in late 2024. In those incidents, two other terrorists with Pakistan-based training, Junaid Ahmad Bhat and Arbaaz Mir, also participated before being neutralised by Indian forces.

So far, the Pahalgam investigation has uncovered a deep local support network in South Kashmir. OGWs and sympathisers helped the attackers navigate the terrain, arranged temporary shelters, and even provided real-time guidance through local trekking guides. The attackers used this intelligence to choose secluded routes and hiding spots.

Authorities have confirmed the involvement of two Pakistani nationals — Hashim Musa and another militant known as Ali Bhai — along with local collaborators Adil Thoker and Asif Shaikh. Combing operations are currently underway in the forests near Baisaran, where security forces believe the attackers were last located.

With Pakistan’s hand now more visible than ever in the Kashmir Valley’s recent terror activities, officials are calling this the most sophisticated infiltration attempt in recent years. The government is also preparing to escalate diplomatic and security-level responses, with national security agencies closely monitoring cross-border movements and digital communication trails.