Lashkar-e-Taiba's top terrorist Abu Qatal murdered in Pakistan

Lashkar-e-Taiba’s most wanted terrorist, Abu Qatal, was murdered in Pakistan on Saturday night, India Today reported. A key operative of the terror outfit, Qatal was notorious for orchestrating multiple attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. He was a close aide of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and played a pivotal role in the June 9 attack on a bus carrying pilgrims returning from the Shiv Khori temple in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district. The attack was carried out under his leadership.

Qatal was also named in the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) chargesheet for his involvement in the deadly 2023 Rajouri attack, cementing his status as a high-profile target for Indian security agencies.

Rajouri terror attack

On January 1, 2023, terrorists targeted civilians in Rajouri’s Dhangri village, followed by an IED blast the next day. Seven people, including two children, lost their lives, while many others suffered serious injuries. The NIA charge-sheeted five accused in the case, including three Pakistan-based handlers of Lashkar-e-Taiba, for planning and executing the attacks.

According to NIA investigations, the trio was responsible for recruiting and dispatching LeT terrorists from Pakistan with the aim of targeting civilians, particularly from the minority community in Jammu & Kashmir, as well as security personnel. Several security agencies, including the Army, had been tracking Abu Qatal for his involvement in multiple terror incidents across Jammu and Kashmir.

(With inputs from Arvind Ojha)