SRINAGAR 07 SEPTEMBER 2026:-
The hunt to make Kashmir Valley terror-free has intensified following the recent encounter in the upper reaches of Yousmarg in Budgam district. The operation assumes significance as self-styled terrorist commander Yasir, considered a close aide and key associate of Moosa, was neutralised by Indian Army.
Moosa is currently on the security forces’ radar following his involvement in the killing of unarmed civilian tourists during the Pahalgam terror attack.
Yasir was killed in a joint operation conducted by the Indian Army’s 53 Rashtriya Rifles, Special Forces in the Pir Panjal area of Budgam district.
According to sources, Moosa managed to escape from the encounter site, and security forces have intensified efforts to track him down.
The operation was launched after the Army’s 53 Rashtriya Rifles and Special Forces, under the control of the Counter Insurgency Force “Victor”, cordoned off the Ashdar area in the upper Pir Panjal ranges of Yousmarg.
As the search parties moved closer to the suspected hideout, the terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on the security forces.The fire was retaliated to effectively, resulting in the killing of Yasir, who is believed to have been a self-styled commander operating on behalf of Pakistan-backed terror networks.
Security sources said terrorists have been attempting to use the difficult and inaccessible upper reaches of the Pir Panjal as hideouts to evade security forces and carry out attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
The killing of Yasir, who was considered a close aide of Moosa, is expected to give security forces a significant lead in their ongoing counter-terror operations.Forces have now intensified searches in adjoining areas to track down other terrorists who may be operating in the region.
Senior Army and Police officials also visited the encounter site and congratulated the personnel involved in the operation for their swift and coordinated action.
According to reports, Yasir had infiltrated into the Kashmir Valley in 2024 and had remained active since then. He was allegedly involved in several attacks targeting security forces across the Pir Panjal region.
The latest operation is being viewed as another significant step in the security forces’ ongoing efforts to dismantle the terrorist network operating in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir and prevent further attacks in the Valley.
Yasir was also involved in an attack on an Army convoy at Buta Durian in Poonch on April 20, 2023, in which five soldiers were killed. He was also involved in an ambush on the Army at Dera ki Gali, Surankote, in Poonch on December 21, 2023, in which four soldiers were killed, the sources said.
Yasir targeted construction workers on October 20 2024, in Gagangir in Sonamarg in central Kashmir, killing six of them along with a local doctor.
Sources in the know said Yasir had been operating in the upper reaches of Rajouri and Poonch border districts with another LeT commander Musa for the last few years.
Sources privy to the matter termed the killing of Yasir as a major setback for the LeT and success for security forces.
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