Pahalgam Attack: Pakistan Army Trained Commando Hashim Musa Identified as Key Mastermind

On Tuesday, April 22, terror once again gripped Jammu and Kashmir as five terrorists—two local and three Pakistani—carried out a deadly assault in the Paisran Valley near Pahalgam. Among them was Hashim Musa, a former Pakistani Army commando, now exposed as the linchpin between the Pakistan Army and terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba. Identified in a group photo with his fellow attackers, Musa’s commanding presence and military bearing mark him as the senior-most. His association with Pakistan’s notorious Special Services Group (SSG), infamous for brutality along the LoC, has made him one of India's most wanted. Intelligence agencies believe Musa infiltrated Indian territory from the Rajouri-Poonch sector nearly 18 months ago and is connected to multiple high-profile attacks, including the mutilation of an Indian soldier in December 2023. In light of the Pahalgam attack, a ₹10 lakh reward has been declared for Hashim Musa, while ₹20 lakh bounties have been announced for his associates Ali Bhai and Adil Hussain Thokar. Investigators believe Musa acts as the critical operational link between Pakistani Army chief Asim Munir and active terror groups inside India—highlighting yet again the deep nexus between Pakistan's military and cross-border terrorism.