Abu Qatal eliminated! Lashkar-e-Taiba's most wanted terrorist killed in Pakistan

In a major counter-terrorist triumph, the highest wanted Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant Abu Qatal was killed in Pakistan on Saturday night. Abu Qatal, a top terrorist of the outfit, was responsible for various attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.

Incidents report that he was the mastermind of numerous deadly attacks, including a June 9 attack on a pilgrims' bus carrying people back from the holy temple of Shiv Khori in Reasi district. Dozens of civilians were killed and others injured in the attack supposedly orchestrated by Qatal.

Role in Rajouri attack

Abu Qatal was involved in the ghastly 2023 Rajouri terror attack, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has reported. Terrorists targeted civilians in Dhangri village on January 1, 2023, and a day later carried out an IED attack. The two attacks resulted in seven fatalities, two of whom were children, and injured a couple of other individuals seriously.

NIA discovered in its investigation that three LeT handlers based in Pakistan had proceeded with planning the attack with meticulous planning. Handlers were involved in recruiting terrorists with the aim to bringing them to Jammu and Kashmir with a target to attacking security personnel as well as minorities. The five accused individuals including three based in Pakistan had already been charged sheet filed by the agency.

Blows to Lashkar-e-Taiba

Abu Qatal was already in the kill list of several security agencies, including the Indian Army, for his involvement in numerous terror cases. His murder is a big setback for Lashkar-e-Taiba, as he was one of the chief planners of the attacks to destabilize the region. The murder of Abu Qatal was a major setback to LeT's activities in Kashmir.