Top Lashkar militant Sulaiman Shah killed in Budgam encounter

A top Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist known as Sulaiman Shah, or Musa, was killed during an encounter with security forces in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. The joint search operation involved the Army, J&K Police, and CRPF, and was launched in the Korag area of Yousmarg based on specific intelligence input.

Encounter Details

Security personnel detected suspicious movement in the higher reaches of Yousmarg and challenged the suspects. The militants responded by opening fire, which led to a fierce gunbattle in the remote forest area of Dudhpathri where Musa was neutralized. He had earlier escaped a security operation in the Yousmarg hills earlier this month.

Past Attacks

Officials stated that Musa was wanted for his role in several attacks on security forces on both sides of the Pir Panjal range. His group was linked to incidents that killed Army personnel between 2021 and 2024, including the 2023 Dera Ki Gali attack, the April 2025 Pahalgam attack, and the 2024 Ganderbal tunnel attack.

Context

Budgam and the surrounding mountainous regions of Jammu and Kashmir have frequently seen anti-militancy operations by security forces tracking armed groups. These operations rely heavily on intelligence inputs regarding suspicious movements in remote forest areas to locate hidden operatives.