Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Moosa, who was allegedly operating as a commander in Jammu and Kashmir, was killed by the Indian Army in Budgam. His identity has now been linked to that of a former Pakistan Army soldier who served with the elite Special Services Group (SSG).
According to the details shared, Mohammad Asif was born on March 7, 1980, and joined the Pakistan Army in 2000 with service number PA-3106947. He later joined the SSG in 2005 and served with the 4 Commando "Yalgar" Battalion. The document identifies him as having retired from the Pakistan Army with the rank of Havildar.
Former Pakistan Army soldier served in SSG
Asif was posted in Balochistan from 2006 onwards and, according to the document, participated in around 10 operations against Baloch insurgents. The document also states that he was credited with 13 personal kills during his deployment. Between 2006 and 2009, he served as part of the VVIP Security Team of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.
His military career also included a deployment to Sudan under a United Nations peacekeeping mission. The document says he was deployed there in 2009 as part of the 12 Frontier Force Regiment and remained in Sudan until 2011. After returning, he was posted to Kurram Agency, where he participated in Operation Al-Mizan between 2011 and 2012.
Served in multiple Pakistan Army operations
The document states that during Operation Zarb-e-Azb, Asif was deployed in North Waziristan in 2014, South Waziristan in 2015 and Khyber Agency during 2015-16. After completing the operation, he continued serving in Khyber Agency.
In 2017, he was sent to Russia as part of a joint military exercise delegation representing the Pakistan Army. From 2017 to 2023, he remained attached to VVIP security duties, providing protection to several senior Pakistani political figures, according to the document.
Retired in 2023, later linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba
Mohammad Asif retired from the Pakistan Army on March 31, 2023. According to the information provided in the document, he was subsequently sent to Jammu and Kashmir in June 2023 to assume command responsibilities within Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The document identifies Hashim Moosa as Mohammad Asif, son of Mohammad Sadiq, and links him to a Pakistani CNIC. It states that his family belonged to Dhok Milyar in Nasirabad, Pindi Gheb, Attock district of Pakistan, while the family was residing in Rawalpindi.
Identity established through Pakistani documents
The identification reportedly comes from Pakistani identity documents, including a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) issued in September 2020. The document states that the CNIC identifies Hashim Moosa as Mohammad Asif and corroborates his identity as a former Pakistan Army Havildar and SSG operative.
According to the information provided, Asif was also awarded the Tamgha-e-Istaqlal and Tamgha-e-Azam during his military service. His military background included counter-insurgency operations, a UN deployment and VVIP security assignments before his reported association with Lashkar-e-Taiba following his retirement in 2023. Moosa was linked to multiple terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, including the Dera Ki Gali attack in December 2023, the Gulmarg attack in October 2024 and an ambush on an Indian Air Force convoy in Poonch in May 2024. These details are based on the information supplied for the story.
(With inputs from ANI)
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