Daijiworld Media Network - Srinagar
Srinagar, Oct 5: Budgam Police have recovered a bag containing medicines and food items from near Palmaidan in Doodhpathri, five days after Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Moosa was killed in an encounter with security forces, raising questions about the possible logistical network that helped him remain concealed in the forests.
The bag was recovered during a search operation in the vicinity of the September 29 encounter site. Police suspect that the medicines and food items may have been intended for Moosa, who was killed after security forces launched an intelligence-based operation in the densely forested area of Budgam district.
Investigators are now examining the origin of the consignment, how and when it was placed at the location and whether any overground workers, co-conspirators or other associates were involved in providing logistical support to the slain terrorist. The recovery forms part of the continuing investigation into Moosa's presence in the area and the wider support network that may have assisted him.
The investigation is being conducted under an FIR registered at Khansahib Police Station. Police said further efforts are underway to identify individuals linked to the suspected logistical network and establish their roles.
Moosa, also known as Mohammad Asif, Asif Fauji and Musa Fauji, was a Pakistan-based LeT commander and had been operating in Jammu and Kashmir for several years. Security agencies had linked him to a number of attacks on security forces and civilians, including the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.
He was killed in a joint operation by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the Korag-Yousmarg area of Budgam on the night of September 29. His body and war-like stores were subsequently recovered from the area. The operation was launched following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists.
Moosa was reportedly the last surviving member of a four-member LeT group that had been active in Jammu and Kashmir since 2022. The other three members — Junaid Bhat, Suleiman Shah and Yasir — had been killed in separate operations between December 2024 and September 2026, according to security officials.
Security agencies are now focusing on whether Moosa had been receiving regular supplies while hiding in the forest and whether a local network helped him evade security forces. The latest recovery is therefore being examined as a possible lead into the wider support structure operating in the region.
Further investigation is underway.