Security forces on September 30 killed a top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander, identified as Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Moosa, in an encounter in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Army's Chinar Corps said a joint operation, codenamed Operation Korag, was launched in the Korag area of Yousmarg on specific intelligence inputs by the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the CRPF. Troops challenged suspicious movement, and the terrorists opened fire, triggering a gunfight.

During a search early on Wednesday in the Palmaidan area, forces recovered Moosa's body along with war-like stores. Officials said he was wanted for involvement in several attacks across Jammu and Kashmir.

Moosa had escaped an earlier encounter in the Yousmarg hills on September 5, in which his aide Yasir was killed. Former J&K police chief S.P. Vaid called the killing a major blow to the terror network, linking Moosa to the Pahalgam attack of 2025.

The Army said search operations are continuing in the surrounding forests. Officials have urged residents to stay away from the operation area and report any suspicious movement.